


The Sweet Scent of Intoxication

by Chou_cosplay



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abusive Grisha Yeager, Alpha Erwin Smith, Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha Mikasa Ackerman, Alpha Reiner Braun, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Badass Eren Yeager, Beta Hange Zoë, Bonding, Bottom Eren Yeager, College Student Eren Yeager, Drunk Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Drunk Texting, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Jealous Eren Yeager, Light Angst, M/M, Mating, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Violence, Nurse Petra, Omega Armin Arlert, Omega Eren Yeager, Omega Petra Ral, Omegaverse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Pining Eren Yeager, Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Purring, Rutting, Sassy Eren Yeager, Scent Marking, Seme Levi, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Uke Eren Yeager, a/b/o dynamics, crooning, fierce omega eren, lots of fluff, lots of smut though, mentions of mpreg, professor Levi, riren - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2018-09-13 04:29:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 106,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9106663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chou_cosplay/pseuds/Chou_cosplay
Summary: Eren had just finally started to get his life under control. He had gotten into the college he wanted, had been looking for a part-time job and had applied to the same dormitory as Armin, to get the fuck away from the clutches of his abusive asshole of a father. But then, one morning a sudden dizziness overcame the supposed beta on his way to school. Fever breaking out on his skin, heat crawling its way up to his stomach, legs wobbling and shaking underneath him. What was happening to him?





	1. Realization

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, so please have mercy. Let me know if you catch any mistakes and tell me what you think.  
> Also, please bear in mind that English is not my native language and that this fic is not proofread or anything. Enjoy!
> 
> (I'm so sorry for the summary, they aren't my forte. Neither are titles XD)

Eren was looking at the bruised up reflection of his 19-year old self in the mirror. Messy brown hair falling in tousled strands into his tired, sleep-deprived teal eyes, cheeks that despite the harshness of the past 5 years had somehow still remained a bit of their chubby firmness. His lips pressed together tightly, forming a single line as he took in his tattered appearance. 

His glance fell further down to the tall lanky legs and thighs covered in various purple, blue and green bruises – varying in their stage of fading off of his body, healing only to be renewed again, if his father laid eyes on him again. Not if… _when_ , Eren thought bitterly.

He hated it. Eren hated being so… _weak_. Not being able to do anything to stop it; to stop his father from hurting him over and over. Punching his stomach, kicking him when he was helplessly laying on the ground, taking his frustration and grief out on him. Blaming Eren for being the sole survivor of the car crash; blaming him for taking his wife away; blaming him for the misery that was Grisha’s life. As if Eren wasn’t blaming himself enough already. 

He tried to fight back, he did. Scratching and clawing at the older alpha to get away from him, to stop it all. But still, he was never able to throw an actual punch at the smelly, disgusting mess that loomed over him... he was weak and he hated it. 

But more than anything he hated his shitty excuse of a father. He hated the alpha to the very core of his existence. He hated them in general. All those shitty alphas thinking they could lay claim to other dynamics, forcing their way onto others without considering for a second what others wanted. Egocentric, arrogant assholes!! All of them. He loathed them, with every fiber of his being; not wanting to have anything to do with them… Lucky enough he was a beta, so at least he wasn’t forced to crave for one of these fuckers by his secondary gender; liberated of the urge to crave for a mate. There was no way in hell he was ever having one; he had sworn so to himself. If mating and losing their mate did what it had done to his father, then he wanted no part of it whatsoever. 

His eyes stared determinedly at his own reflection. This, he had vowed: No matter what, he would never have, want or crave a mate. 

Scowling, he started putting his clothes on, hiding the bruises underneath a simple layer of clothing, before he threw on his favorite worn-down leather jacket. Not that he really needed it. Considering that it was January, he felt awfully hot; unbearably so. But no way in hell was he staying in this house, fever or not. He shivered at the thought of having to stay home with Grisha, but tucked it away in a faraway corner of his mind and instead opted for grabbing his backpack. Another day of university lay ahead of him; fully packed with classes and activities – only to diminish the time spent at 'home'. 

He quietly sneaked out through the backdoor, desperately trying not to grab any attention from Grisha. He huffed out a sigh of relief as he managed to make it to the main road, having successfully avoided another fit from his father. 

'Fuck that man' he thought bitterly 'and fuck that house'. It wasn't like all his memories of his supposed 'home' consisted of horrible ones- but all the good ones with his mother had been replaced by agony and pain. It wasn't very surprising then that Eren had secretly applied for a dormitory, hoping he would get into the same one as his best friend Armin. Even though he hadn’t been granted a scholarship like the blond genius – since Grisha earned enough to provide for him – he still desperately wanted out. He planned to start working part-time and hopefully he would be able to leave this shit-hole soon.

A cold gust of wind distracted him from his thoughts as his hair was gently ruffled by the chilly breeze. It felt good, refreshing on his weirdly overheated skin.

With flushed cheeks and firm steps, Eren started heading towards the campus of Trost university. He knew the way by heart by now, having walked the same path for the past two months ever since becoming a freshman. He was glad his two best friends were attending with him – albeit in different majors – seeing them always made his days at least somewhat bearable. 

It wasn't like it had all been good between them though. There had been quite some tension between him and Mikasa ever since she had presented as an alpha. Logically speaking, Eren knew he was being unfair to her, but her being an alpha had come as a shock to him. Despite all the telltale signs of her presenting as one, he had meticulously ignored them. He didn't want to believe that one of his best friends would be _one of them_. But now she was, and he had to deal with it. It had taken him a while, but eventually he had realized that despite Mikasa being an alpha, nothing had really changed. She was still the same old Mikasa: Overprotective and hovering. 

Eren grunted at the thought… if she had so much of an inkling as to what Grisha had been up to the past 5 years, he'd be a dead man walking. But Eren never said anything, making sure that no one ever saw the bruises. This was his fight – and he would take the man down one day. He certainly didn’t need the help of another alpha for that. He was perfectly capable of doing that by himself.

Eren knew however, that even going to a hospital would be a fruitless effort, being a renowned doctor came with the benefit of the doubt and Eren was all too keenly aware of that. It didn't matter how or of what he accused his father, no one would believe him anyway. The bastard would find some excuse for the bruises on his body – like the one time when he had justified them to their neighbor with Eren taking karate-lessons. ‘Hah!’ if only he had been allowed to pursue any form of martial arts… he would have kicked his old man’s ass so hard he would never have been able to walk straight again. But of course, Grisha would not risk that, after all ‘he didn’t want to let his little angel get hurt’. 

He gritted his teetch in annoyance at the memory of his father’s sweet sugary voice as he had uttered that one sentence. Fucking bastard. Eren’s usually sweet scent of earl grey and cinnamon turned bitterly sour at the memory, leaving a distinct trail of hate in the air after him.

He was getting closer to the university when he started to feel truly off. It was no longer just the overheated feeling of his body; his head was getting dizzy, his body no longer following his orders. His steps became sluggish; he was wobbling now, trying to steady himself with the wall next to an abandoned alley. What the hell was going on? It was another 5 minute walk to the campus and he couldn’t collapse here - but his entire being felt like it. He felt as if his whole body was giving out under him. Shivers took over as he suddenly fell to his knees and convulsed involuntarily. What the heck?! 

That's when he felt it. An uncomfortable wetness starting to spread between his legs, coating his thighs slowly in a weird liquid. Eren’s eyes widened in shock. What was going on? Wa-was he…? No! no no no…. he was a _**BETA**_! That was just not possible. Tears started forming in his eyes at the realization what this meant - that the horrifying liquid between his legs was _slick_ , preparing him to breed with an alpha. 

Fear and panic mingled into the overly sweet scent the brunette was giving off now, the distress not enough to cover the intoxicating aroma of his pheromones that were screaming for an alpha to come and mate him. To fulfill their nature together. To fill him up nice and good. Eren felt like gagging as his secondary gender surfaced telling him that he needed to be filled with the seed of an alpha. He wanted to puke, this wasn’t happening to him. It couldn’t. It just… couldn’t be happening.

He was dragged out of his stupor by a rough hand on his shoulder and a slimy voice whispering into his ear “oh, what a sweet little omega you are. You seem to be in pain precious… I can help you with that.”

“Get the fuck away from me!” Eren tried to sound confident and threatening as he pushed the disgusting hand away from himself, but his voice came out too unsteady and high-pitched, full of fear and terror at what the man would do to him. He desperately tried to get up, his wobbly legs not helping at all. Somehow he managed to stand up and immediately started to move as far away from the repugnant smell of the loathsome alpha as he could. His body had other things in mind though, betraying him at the most crucial time as he ended up collapsing against the wall a few meters into the alley.

The vulgar alpha reeking of arousal and possessiveness stalked him into the alley and continued with his revolting voice “oh baby so you like it rough, hm? I can definitely do that for you” ending with a sleazy grin on his face, reaching out to grab Eren by his shoulders. 

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Eren screeched, not wanting the vile alpha anywhere near him. He tried to move further away from him, but it was so hard with his body not listening to him, trying to actually get _closer_ to the fucker. _**Disgusting**_. He didn’t want this, none of this! 

Tears were now freely flowing down the omega’s check in small rivulets. He wanted to be anywhere but here. He felt helpless and weak all over again. Why couldn’t he be strong this once? Why couldn’t he help himself for once? A sob shook through his body as the dirty hands of the alpha touched his shoulder.

The touch was all that Eren had needed. But not in the way his secondary gender would have liked. Instead a renewed fire burned in his teal eyes. He refused to be weak. He would fight this stinking bastard of a low-life. Fight for his life. Fight for himself. He would not let this alpha touch him any further. With all the force he could muster he kicked the alpha straight in his groin, earning himself a guttural howl as the other fell to his knees holding his crotch with a more than pained expression. 

Eren took this chance trying to move away and back onto the main street, only to be stopped by thick laughter coming from both sides of him. He whipped his head around from one side to the other, trying to figure out what was going on, only to have more panic rise in his body as the realization hit him: he was completely surrounded. They were coming from both sides of the alley. Laughing loudly at the other alpha crouching on the ground painfully wheezing out breath after breath; trying to calm himself from the blow he had received from Eren.

Eren was surrounded by alphas and there was no way out. His body was completely shaking from the panic now. He knew he wouldn’t get out of here without being screwed for hours. No, no, no!! He would do anything for this not to happen! He wouldn’t go down without a fight. Not against these fuckers! Another pair of hands tried to grab the brunette, but he slapped them away with all the strength he could muster in his feeble arms. 

Laugher erupted again “Oh, we got ourselves a feisty one this time... so you want to play omega? Well then… let’s play. Thom, grab him!” 

And without knowing where the hands came from, Eren was suddenly grappled from behind. “No! NO!” he couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything except for watching the guy in front of him pull down his pants forcefully. “No! n-no.. p-please, stop! Do-don’t… no” all he could do now was scream, plead and beg for mercy. For this not to happen to him. 

Tears were streaming down his cheeks, rendering his vision blurry and useless. This was happening. He was going to be ra-rape… he didn’t want to think about it. He felt hollow, empty, weak. He could do nothing but watch as these brutes had their way with him.

He closed his eyes, as he’d rather not watch what he had feared Grisha would do one day when he was extremely pissed off. But other than beating him to a pulp every other day he had not touched him at all. And now these vile pieces of shit would. Another shiver ran through him when an icy, calm voice commanded “Let him go! **NOW**!”


	2. Of Earl Grey and Cinnamon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, you guys... almost 50 Kudos? I don't even know what to say, thank you very much ><
> 
> I will alternate between Eren's and Levi's point of view and sometimes describe the same scene from different perspectives. Let me know what you think about it. Enjoy grumpy professor Levi!

Levi had been awake for quite some time this morning. He always woke up early, not requiring a lot of sleep to function. He preferred working over sleeping anyway. Sleep was overrated.

As per usual he had gotten up and busied himself in his study with reading through a few of the hopelessly shitty papers his students had handed in last week. His lip curled in disgust as he threw the paper of Kirstein to the ever-growing pile that he regarded as complete and utter bullshit. What were these boys thinking handing in shit like that? He frowned and took another sip of his favorite earl grey tea as he sighed in contempt. Sometimes he hated his job. He would prefer just doing research on his own, but Erwin had insisted that he taught a few classes as well. He was not about to forget that so easily, shitty eyebrows. 

His eyes scanned over the next paper: Arlert. Every other professor would have instantly put the boys paper to the other pile – the ‘potential-to-be-decent-pile’, but not Levi. He didn’t play favorites, not even when the blond had only handed in almost impeccable work. He skimmed through the neatly written and well organized paper and let out another sigh. See? It wasn’t that hard after all. Arlert had gotten the gist of what he had been talking about during his last few lessons, but he was still off on some points. Shitty brats, it’s not so hard now is it? Just use your fucking brain for once. Or at least listen. 

He put Arlert’s paper to the left, the first one to be put there. He could literally see Erwin’s face raising one of his caterpillars of an eyebrow at him considering that he had put everyone else’s paper on the shit-pile. With a scowl on his face he pushed the image out of his mind and picked up the next one: Springer. _Oh god, have mercy on me_. He read the first paragraph and with a growl of frustration instantly put it on the shit-pile. What was it with these brats? 

Too frustrated to continue with this self-torture, Levi stood up and slipped into his suit jacket, grabbing his keys from the small bowl where they had been placed in, only to stare at them briefly. He didn’t really have to take the car, the university was ridiculously close, and he could reach the campus by foot in a bit less than 10 minutes. But he usually preferred his car anyway, since it was much cleaner, faster and less _crowded_. He was less inclined to run into other people – or better said those shit wits running into him. 

He scowled at his keys. He could hear shitty glasses’ mocking voice repeating the words from last week crystal clear in his head ‘Leviiiiiiiiiii, you need to get some fresh air, you look like a corpse’. Tch. If she had kept talking the only one looking like a goddamn corpse would have been her. She would have actually been one, not just looked like one. But his threats had little impact on the mad scientist anymore, as they had known each other since high school. Damn shitty glasses and eyebrows… one of these days…

He grumbled but let the keys slip back into his pockets, deciding that for once he would actually walk. And no, it had nothing to do with shitty glasses. 

With his tea in hand he started walking down the pavement towards the university. The air was fresh and crisp, if it weren’t for the shit ton of people weaseling around this early in the morning, he would have almost considered it a nice change of pace. 

That was until he scented the air unconsciously. The sweet, intoxicating scent hit him like a brick wall, a force so potent, it felt like he was being run over by a truck. 

He had to take a moment to steady himself and control his jumbled thoughts. 

The aroma was heavy in the air, the sweet sweet smell of his favorite earl grey tea mixed with a hint of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Levi had never smelt anything more mouthwatering and delicious. The scent was heavenly. A low growl escaped his lips as his mouth began salivating at the aroma-filled pheromones heavy in the air. His body tensed for a brief second, his muscles straining with the sudden urge of his alpha to chase the lovely scent, trail and track it until he found the source of the delectable aroma... Clenching his hands into fists at the side of his shaking body, he forcefully reigned his inner alpha in again. After all, he wasn’t one of those shitty alphas that let themselves be ruled by their secondary gender. He had better control over his alpha and he knew it. 

After another second of calming himself down, he scowled as the realization hit him that there must be an omega in heat around here somewhere. Fucking shit. Seriously? Who was stupid enough to stroll around a street in his fucking heat?! Basically asking to be fucked and mated? What the fuck was wrong with this shitty omega? 

Crap. His body had unconsciously started moving into the direction of the scent, the grip on his inner alpha seemingly not as strong as Levi would have wanted it to be. Fucking shit. And the smell was only getting stronger, pulling and lulling him in by the minute. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over the raven as he tried to get a better grip on the beast roaring inside him. Instinct was a bitch. But he knew how to handle her. He must be pretty damn close to the omega to get such a reaction out of him though. 

His thoughts threatened to get side-tracked again, but the high-pitched screaming and begging to stop from his left sharpened his senses immediately. 

Fucking bastards, where they forcing themselves on an unwilling omega? What disgusting pigs these fuckers were. A shitty fucking excuse for an alpha. 

The wailing continued the closer he got, quickly turning into desperate begging for them to stop. And it was in that moment that he realized that this must be the omega’s first heat. They must have had no clue that their heat was about to start. Fucking hell, he didn't really want to get into a fight this early in the morning, but there was just something about the smell of this particular omega that drove him closer and closer without even wanting to, not to mention that he couldn't just stand by while an innocent omega was threatened of being raped. These fuckers deserved to be taught a lesson. 

His feet were steady and quick-paced now that a part of him had already decided to intervene and brought him into the alley within seconds. Horror flashed briefly through his silver irises as he registered the scene, quick to be replaced with outrage and fury. The poor boy had been stripped down, only his ragged shirt hanging loosely over his bruised body. The omega was bent over by his assailant that held him in place from behind, seemingly amused by the futile resistance and trashing that the omega put up. The most beautiful teal-colored eyes Levi had ever seen were filled with horror, disgust and fear. The distress was now clear in the omegas scent with the close proximity to him, the sweet aroma of earl grey having now taken on an impossibly sour note as the omega squeezed his eyes shut in what seemed to be heartbreaking acceptance of his fate. 'No! _not today_ ' Levi thought angrily. A feral, guttural growl ripped its way through Levi’s chest and throat, his voice cold as ice, his gunmetal eyes flickering over his soon to be opponents “Let him go! **NOW** ”. 

He wasn't afraid of being unable to handle the 6 sorry excuses of alphas that were standing in front of him in the rund-down alley. The seventh seemed to already have been taken care of: He was lying on the ground and clutching his crotch with a rather pained expression. The omega had some fight in him it seemed. Levi smirked at the thought; those shit-stains definitely deserved it. 

They weren’t bulky, muscled or even toned and seemed to have no training whatsoever, his trained eye could tell. They never had to fight, not truly at least. Not in the way that Levi had to. That would be his advantage; it would be over before they even knew it. He steeled himself, readying his body for the fight that was about to break out when an utterly disgusting, slimy voice spoke up “Or what? Huh? You think we would listen to you, _shorty_? Fuck off, this is our omega!” 

Laughter erupted around him, but before the sleazy alpha could even register if his taunting had any effect or not, Levi had begun to move. Quick and agile like a cat, he swirled around and took out the first two alphas that were standing closest to him with precise blows to the stomach and neck. Incapacitating them, rendering them unconscious for at least the next few minutes. 

Instantly, the guy standing behind the omega released him from his hold and straightened up to join the fight. The omega slumped down to the ground, heaving loudly. Levi stared at his opponent, unimpressed. He had just given up the only leverage that he had against him. Fucking idiot. But he wasn’t complaining. 

He dodged the fist aimed at him from the left effortlessly and buried his own straight into the face of his attacker. Another one coming from the right had him dodge down low, twisting around in a circle, using his outstretched leg with precision to make them lose their footing. Both of them stumbled, one falling straight onto his ass, but the raven was too quick for them. Another roundhouse kick followed straight into the stomach of the one who had previously been holding the omega. Levi moved around with the momentum of the kick like a deadly whirlwind and buried his elbow into his opponent’s side. He may be short but he knew exactly how to use that to his advantage. 

He turned to face the last guy- the one who had dared calling him a shorty – and walked up to him with a calm, deadly expression. The guy was still sitting on the ground, flabbergasted and seemed to be pissing himself from fear. 

Time to teach this asshole some manners.

Levi’s voice was composed, icy anger pulsing in thick layers as he seethed “You should _not_ have said that” and with that he kicked the piece of filth straight into the face. Blood was splattering all over the wall at the far end and to Levi's dismay a few tiny droplets landed on his impeccably polished shoes. _Disgusting_. 

The alphas that were not completely unconscious seemed to finally get the message, scattering off down the alley. With the threath now gone, Levi reigned in the overpowering aggression from his scent but still left it potent, warding off everyone from taking as much as a single step in the direction of the alley. 

A low whimper had him come back to his senses. He sharply turned on his heels and his eyes landed on the half-naked, slicking omega on the floor. The omega seemed to not have entirely comprehended what had just happened, teal-eyed irises blinking up at him in confusion, before another whimper shook his whole body. His scent must be too potent and almost unbearable for the poor sweet thing. Tch. Had he just called the omega a 'sweet thing’?

He reigned his scent further in and unconsciously put in a soothing note. With that done, he looked straight into the teal eyes of the omega and reached out a hand to help him stand up. 

“Don’t touch me, alpha!” the brat pushed his hand away and inched as far away from him as his feeble body allowed it. He was trying to sound fierce and intimidating but failed miserably. Another fit of shivers shook through the boy’s body as a new wave of slick ran down his thighs. More whimpers tumbled over the puffed lips of the brunette as he tried to register and fully understand what was going on. 

Tch. What a fucking brat. He had just saved his sorry ass from multiple hours of rape and that was what he got? “Trust me, I don’t really want to touch you right now… you’re filthy as fuck… but that’s the only way to get you out of here and to a clinic to get suppressants” his voice was as steady as he could make it under the continuous assault of those delicious earl grey flavored pheromones that were swimming thickly in the air. 

The omega’s eyes narrowed at his words “And why should I trust an _alpha_?” – the omega spat the last word, nearly hissing as he said it out loud. Great, the brat must have something against alphas then. Well, couldn’t really blame him for that. Most alphas were shitty assholes after all. 

“You don’t have much of a choice brat, either you trust me or you’ll have these shits rape the fuck out of you, so what’s it going to be?” Levi’s patience was wearing thin, put on edge by the pheromones of this pretty omega. Oozing them all over the place, making his mouth water at the thought of the brunette being spread out lovingly under hi… stop! Fuck this, he wouldn’t go there. The beast roared loudly inside of him, to claim the omega that he had just fought over and won, to mate, to mark, to _bite_. But Levi pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, steadying himself with shallow breaths through his mouth. Breathing through his nose was NOT an option here.

After a moment of pulling himself together he reached his hand out to the omega again “Brush my hand away this time brat, and I won’t offer it again.”


	3. Turmoil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone~~~
> 
> I hope you all had a great start into 2017 and enjoy the 3rd chapter ;)

Eren had already given up hope when he heard the icy voice laced with anger commanding the shit-wits to let him go. Another shiver wrecked through his body as the scent of the new alpha loomed over him. A shaky whimper of want slipped through Eren’s lips at the clean, musky scent of sandalwood and pines washing over him, making his mind reel from dizziness at the thought of this alpha claiming him. He could taste the aroma of the other at the back of his throat, inhaling it deeply, letting it infiltrate his body and soul. He wanted this alpha. Wanted him more than anything. Wanted to be mated by him, to be claimed, _bonded_. 

He was too deep in his thoughts to realize what was going on around him. His instincts were going haywire; screaming, yelling at him to make the new alpha desire him. 

He was thrown out of his trance as the slimy weasel that had previously been holding him, finally let go. Eren tumbled to the ground, not being able to move an inch away from where he had fallen. He was overwhelmed by fear; terror and panic spreading through his every vein. He was overwhelmed by the sounds of growls and snarling, overwhelmed by what was happening right before his eyes. A blurry shadow of raven-colored hair and narrowed gunmetal eyes dashing around the other alphas gracefully – almost as if he was dancing, not wrecking their sorry asses.

Eren’s mind was still fuzzy, dizzy from the scents, the tears still welling in his ocean-green eyes. He could barely register what was happening around him. Everything was happening so fast. One second he was being held by an asshole, threatened to be taken and raped against his will for hours. The next he was lying on the ground, watching the raven-haired stranger kicking his last assailants face in. 

He couldn’t really explain what was happening to him, but the sight of the heavenly smelling alpha smashing the others teeth to little bits and stating his dominance over him, had him wantonly whimper loudly. Eren was completely overwhelmed by the sensations his body was putting him through. Want. Need. Desperation. 

The raven turned around abruptly, and for the first time Eren could see the stranger’s face. If he had been able to breathe properly in the first place, his breath would have most likely been taken away at the sight. The raven standing in front of him was the most beautiful guy he had ever seen. Mesmerizing gunmetal mixed with silver in the narrowed irises that took him in, framed by angular porcelain cheekbones. Dark, black hair parted slightly to the right, his fringe falling into his face, framing his handsome features perfectly. A fancy black suit and white shirt were hugging his obviously toned body, accentuating every muscle of his lean figure. A new potent wave of musky sandalwood laced with protectiveness and a hint of pride assaulted the feeble mind of the omega and Eren salivated at the mental image of what the raven must look like _without_ those clothes. 

Another whimper escaped Eren as a fresh wave of slick forced its way out to coat his thighs in the delectable scent of an omega in heat. 

As if on cue, the luscious musky scent diminished in range and potency. But still potent enough to make Eren want nothing more than to spread his legs for the stranger and to accept the handsome alpha into his deepest parts. As if the raven could read his mind, his body tensed and he drew in ragged breaths through his mouth. The scent was further reigned in and a soothing smell of calming cleanliness washed over Eren. 

He closed his eyes and suddenly he was standing in drizzling rain in the midst of an old forest. Old thick trees protruded from the moss-covered meadow, standing tall; ancient in their being. He could hear the low chirping of birds around him and a loud crack as he shifted his foot slightly. Eren glanced down and saw a broken branch lying underneath his foot. This felt so real... so insanely real... but he didn’t’ question it. Didn’t ask what was going on. After all the shit that had just happened, he was finally at peace. The scent of his alpha was hanging thick in the meadow. Sandalwood and Pine. It was soothing, lulling his inner omega away from the frenzied stage he had been in and into an almost calm, serene one. 

He opened his eyes and for a brief moment he was himself. Not the needy, wanting omega in heat. He was Eren and he hated those shitty fucking alphas with every fiber of his body. His eyes narrowed, what had this handsome guy just done to him? Damn, he was trying to insult the man (prick he meant!) and all he could think of was how mesmerizing those gunmetal eyes were. Was this another one of their lowly tricks? Lulling an omega into such a calm, peaceful state that they were easier to take? To mate?

His distrust of the raven was rising with every second and as the other stretched out his hand, Eren’s reflex was faster than his mind. He pushed the other’s hand away, but to his dismay not as desperately as he had hoped. He wanted to be fierce, ferocious, but a part of him wanted the alpha to touch him, had even given him the permission to do so. What the fuck! 

“Don’t touch me, alpha” it was almost as if Eren was saying it to himself, to remind himself of how disgusted he should be at the thought of the raven touching him. Disgusted, not thrilled. _Shit_.

The calm voice addressing him was full of annoyance, but to Eren’s surprise he could make out a hint of concern, or was he imagining it? 

He was filthy? What a fucker, he definitely did not like this guy. No, not at all. He was trying to convince himself of it, but a glance down at himself made him realize that the other was right. He _was_ filthy. 

His clothes lay sullied on the ground, his shirt ragged, torn at the edges and on his sleeve. His hair was messy, his legs coated in dirt and slick. He couldn’t really blame the raven for not wanting to touch him. But it still hurt, hearing those words from the handsome alpha his inner omega was craving more than anything in the world. He swallowed down the lump of bitterness at the comment, reminding himself that the other was right and had gotten rid of his attackers. 

The next comment of the raven had his thoughts jumble again, though. Suppressants?! The alpha wanted him to get suppressants? Eren’s eyes widened in confusion. Why would the stranger want him to go get suppressants? Didn’t he want to fuck him like all the other shit-alphas that were still lying on the ground? Did he not want to have his way with him, to plunge deep into his tight, slick cavern and fuck his brains out? Eren definitely wanted that. NO! Fuck, **NO**! What is this shit? He _**DID NOT**_ want that. Fucking hell. 

His eyes narrowed in distrust. He would not trust this alpha. He may have saved him from the clutches of the other 5, but an alpha could not be trusted. Especially not with an omega in heat around, and if Eren was anything, then he was far from stupid. He voiced his concern loudly, hissing out the last word, showing his contempt at the whole dynamic situation and the supposedly dominant dynamic. What a load of crap. These alpha fuckers were entitled to nothing. Absolutely nothing. 

He was grounded again by the calm voice of the dark-haired man, the annoyance now more prevalent than ever. The raven was leaving the choice up to him. He could reject the handsome alpha and try to get back home – to wait out his heat. But would he even make it there? His heat had barely started and only a few minutes later he had been surrounded by these disgusting alphas. He wouldn’t make it home by himself. 

The thought of that and of what had almost happened just now, made Eren tremble in fear and anxiety. He couldn’t let that happen to him. He couldn’t. He had withstood Grisha’s abuse for years, but he wouldn’t be able to pick up the pieces of his broken self, if other alphas found him while in heat.

The raven’s hand stretched out to him again, warning him that this would be his last chance of help from the stranger. Eren’s body shook, trembling at the thought of being left alone in this alley. Before he knew it, his teal eyes had started watering again. But he pulled himself together and slowly stretched out to take the raven’s hand. He was expecting to be forcefully pulled up to his feet, but all the raven did, was to gently hold on to his hand, steadying him as he got on to his wobbly feet by himself. 

“See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it, brat?” Eren wanted to snap at the comment, but the voice and the ensuing scent that enveloped him were full of gentleness and protectiveness; a silent promise of safety. The raven’s hand squeezed his own lightly as he continued “Can you walk?”

Could he? Eren wasn’t sure. His legs felt like jelly, wobbling heftily. He was barely able to stand on his feet, but he was determined to walk by himself. “Y-Yeah…” Eren’s voice was hoarse; overused from all the screams and screeches he had used to fight off his assailants. The raven only nodded silently, taking slow steps towards the main road. 

Eren tried to keep up, he really tried. But his legs didn’t listen to him. He had barely taken 3 steps, when without warning the wobbling intensified. Distress filled his scent as he feared he would clash roughly with the ground again. He was tumbling forward, definitely about to fall, when suddenly steady, warm arms wrapped around him tightly.

Without realizing it, he found himself in a tight embrace of the raven, his head falling into the neck of the shorter man. The older male inhaled harshly, trying hard to keep his composure at the close proximity to the omega, it seemed. Eren’s inner omega roared in triumph at the tensing of the alphas muscles. The effect he was having on the alpha clear to the needy omega-mind. 

Firm hands kept Eren balanced, not letting him move away from the alpha. The alpha’s breathing was heavy and loud as it filled Eren’s right ear. But he couldn’t care less. He had just discovered the source of the heavenly tempting smell of the shorter alpha. Without a care in the world or realizing what his actions meant, he nuzzled his face and nose into the others scent gland, inhaling the heady scent of the alpha needily. Another whimper escaped his throat as the scent washed over his senses, invading ever part of his feeble mind. 

His fingers clutched around the raven’s neck, not wanting to let go of the exhilarating smell and the closeness that promised safety and warmth. He completely relaxed into the raven’s hold. The alpha could do whatever he wanted with him and Eren wouldn’t mind. 

After a moment of just standing there inhaling the raven’s scent, Eren heard a low exhale that resembled a sigh too closely for his liking. “Guess I will have to carry you, huh, brat?” with that the raven slowly ducked down to grab Eren under his knees and back, intent on carrying him in the front where he could keep an eye on the pretty omega. Eren whined at the temporary loss of proximity and intoxicating scent in his nose, but quickly let out a happy mewl as he realized he was being carried and held close again. The raven wrapped his suit jacket around Eren and the omega nuzzled his face back into the raven’s neck. 

The scent was heavenly. But Eren wanted more. He slowly moved up and pressed his own neck against the raven’s, moving feverishly, spreading his scent onto the alpha and wantonly accepting the alphas scent on his skin. The alpha’s hands on him tensed as Eren unconsciously started scent-marking them, finally relaxing as he - seemingly satisfied with the result - nuzzled back into the raven's neck and started purring. He was happy, content in the arms of his alpha. 

Wait... what?! What the fuck? He was _happy_? Happy to be held by an _alpha_? 

What had gotten into him – he didn’t want this. Any of this. And why the fuck had he called the alpha _his_? The raven was far from his, and Eren didn’t even want him. Not really, at least. UGH. Eren was torn between his normal self and the instinct driven omega inside of him. 

His scent must have conveyed his inner turmoil, as a soothing hand started stroking small circles into his back. “I will bring you to Professor Hanji on the campus, brat. Since shitty glasses studies dynamics, she will have suppressants for sure… They will help.” 

The raven gritted his teeth, a scowl on his face indicating that he was concentrating hard on something. But Eren couldn’t figure out what. And he didn’t care. Not after the reassuring words that he was safe. All his inner omega cared about was being in the raven’s arms, indulging in the musky scent that was flaring around them protectively. Eren’s tension slowly started slipping away, as he started to relax with the steady up-and-down from the other’s steps. And with the exhaustion finally hitting him, his head sank down onto the raven’s shoulder, falling into the depths of sleep.


	4. Instinct

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG thanks for all the positive feedback, kudos and comments. They really make my day and motivate me to keep writing and hopefully provide you with something you'll like. So thank you all <3 <3 <3 
> 
> I had a bit more trouble writing this one, but i hope you guys still like it. As promised chapter 4^^ Enjoy~

Levi’s voice was stern, filled with annoyance at the brunette shivering in front of him. In this moment he was utterly serious when he told the shitty brat that this would be his last offer. He would leave the omega here in this sorry alley to his own devices would he not take his hand and accept his help. Levi was a man of his word. Whether people applauded or cursed him for it. He didn’t give a fuck. 

His hand was still outstretched, waiting for the brat to take it. But seeing the turmoil and struggle raging behind those lovely emerald orbs made him have a bit more patience then usually. That didn’t mean that he would be standing in this fucking alley for the next five _goddamn_ minutes, though. 

His foot was about to tab the floor impatiently, when - _thank god_ \- the brat finally decided to be at least somewhat smart. Teal irises eyed him suspiciously as fingers brushed against his hand; tentatively taking hold of him and using him as support to get up on his feet. The omega’s legs were shaking, clearly unable to support him properly. But Levi saw the fight and determination in those breathtaking ocean-green eyes and swallowed his offer to carry the omega. If the brat wanted to do it by himself then he would let him. Omegas were just as capable of taking care of themselves as any other dynamic. He would be the last person to tell an omega what they ought to do and what not. Every alpha that did or thought they had the right to, deserved to be taught a lesson in his view. And every alpha who laid their hands on a defenseless teen, especially so – he thought bitterly as his eyes took in the tattered appearance of the brunette.

The bruising on the omegas body was obviously not from his encounter with the shitty alphas that he had just beaten up. No, those bruises varied from older to rather fresh ones. Anger boiled in his gut and fury flashed through his silver orbs, realizing that this must have been the work of an alpha. Only alphas would lose themselves to their instinct to this degree; stooping so low as to beat an innocent kid bloody. Levi’s fists clenched in disgust. It must have been someone close to the brat that he couldn’t get away from. Probably his shitty excuse of a father. No wonder the kid hated alphas. 

Levi was still surprised by the fierceness of this one and started taking tiny steps towards the main road; keeping it slow, so that the brunette could keep up with him. He eyed the omega’s legs like a hawk, not missing a single wobble. One tiny misstep and he would step in. He would not condone the omega getting hurt under his watch. 

When the brat started to fall, Levi was there instantly. Wrapping the omega in his strong hold, fiercely holding him to his chest – intent on never letting go as a new wave of earl grey and cinnamon washed over him. His mind reeled, dizzied by the intoxicating smell that was now oh so close. Too close but at the same time not close enough.

His mouth started salivating; he was already breathing heavily though his mouth, trying desperately to steady himself and get his inner alpha under control. He would not hurt him. Under no circumstances. The poor kid had had enough horrible experiences with alphas already, he would not add to those. Determined, he put the leash back on his inner alpha, telling it to literally fuck off for all he cared. There would be no claiming or biting _today_. 

Levi almost felt grounded enough, when his breath suddenly hitched as the brunette started nuzzling into his scent gland. What the fuck was the kid doing? Levi barely suppressed a guttural growl that forced its way up his throat at the gesture of the brat. Had the brat no idea how fucking _intimate_ that shit was? 

His whole body tensed as Levi had to put all his focus on fighting his inner alpha again. Fighting for the right of his own body. Fighting to protect the brat from himself. Fighting not to bite and claim the delectable omega right in front of him. Another wave of content omega hit him hard; his body trembling as he fought over dominance and finally, after what felt like minutes, emerged victorious. 

Levi slowly exhaled and let out a low sigh at the strain of mental power he had needed to subdue his alpha this time. The brat wasn’t making this easy on him. 

Between gritted teeth he finally managed to sound somewhat coherent “Guess I will have to carry you, huh, brat?” 

He didn’t really have a choice. He couldn’t leave the omega here in this alley. As much as the grumpy part of him wanted to have nothing to do with this shitty mess he was already in, his alpha – despite being subdued – still had enough power over him, to not leave the brat here by himself. Also the brat was alone, in his first heat and had clearly no idea what was happening to him. And nature had seen it fit to make him unable to protect himself properly, instead it had equipped him with luring the problems _to_ him. What a shitty bitch nature was sometimes. 

There was no choice and Levi didn’t want one. 

With the omega clearly unable to do much more than desperately cling to him, he would have to carry him to the university. The university was his best bet after all. Getting the omega to a hospital would take more time and the sooner the brunette received his suppressants the better. They only worked properly if taken before or during the first stage of the heat. Shitty glasses had some for sure and she was closest by. Not to mention that sitting confined in a cab together with the lovely omega and his mouthwatering scent would take even more of a toll on his mental stability and control. The usually confident professor wasn’t sure he could handle that. So, no. The university it was. 

He slowly ducked down and took the omega in a princess hold, carrying him on his front to ward off any potential fuckers that would dare to come close to them. ‘Let’s see them try’ he thought with a confident smirk. The dark thoughts of him beating another few alphas faces in were interrupted by a happy mewl of the omega that went straight to his groin. _Shit_. 

Fucking hell, he had to keep it together and focus on getting the omega his suppressants. But his omega sounded so needy and fucking perfect. Just the thought of what the brunette would look like under him; panting, flushed cheeks, sweat and slick mingling on those delicious looking thighs… and just what kind of sounds Levi would get out of him; making him sing and wantonly cry out his name with that lovely voice of his - made his body shiver in anticipation. 

_**Fuck** _

_Keep. It. Together. Man._

He huffed and started walking towards the main street. The omega was still nuzzling into his scent glad, seemingly content with the smell he was producing. His inner alpha keened on that knowledge in triumph. Once again he heard the voice of the crazy scientist inside of his head, shrieking with vigor and enthusiasm that this would mean that they were _very_ compatible. Insanely compatible even - especially if their scents were having such a strong effect and pull on each other. Tch. Levi tried to ignore what he knew to be true and focused on bringing the omega to the campus. 

A part of him cringed at the thought that he would have to leave the brat with shitty glasses, but then again, she was the fastest and quickest option he had available. He sighed at the thought of what kind of craziness she would show when he appeared with an omega that was most likely a college student already, only now entering his first heat. Usually omegas had their first heat in their early teenage years. ‘Four-eyes will start shitting bricks for sure’ he thought darkly. But he would prevent her from doing anything unnecessary to the brunette and stay to make sure the brat was safe with her.

Seriously? _‘Make sure the brat was safe’_? What was it with this kid? Why was he so goddamn concerned with the brats safety, and more importantly when had he become so… _caring_? He reeled over his own thought process. If Levi Ackermann was anything, then he was far from caring and all the fluffy shit that came with that. So why was this omega so different? 

With large strides and a firm but gentle grip on the brunette in his arms, he marched towards Trost campus. Very intent on ignoring all the strange stares they were getting, he cradled the omega closer to his chest; shooting every alpha that dared to look into their direction his trade-mark glare that could kill on the spot. Not surprisingly, no one was keen on getting closer. 

Levi was already thinking that he could get rid of the problem in his arms rather quickly when the brat suddenly stirred. Before he knew what was happening the shitty brat started rubbing their necks together. His hands tensed and his grip became almost bruising as he realized what the omega was doing. He was _scent-marking_ them. Fucking hell. 

Sweet cinnamon and earl grey mixed with sandalwood and the scent of fresh pine. Levi would never have guessed the combination to smell so… _satisfying_ , but all he could think about in this very moment was that this omega; this sweet, heavenly smelling omega was claiming him. Marking him with vigor; relentless in his assault on his glands, until their scent was sufficiently mixed and spread on their necks respectively. His inner alpha roared in triumph; wanting to do nothing more than reciprocate the action. Claiming the omega in his own – very ‘alpha-ish’ way. But for now the beast seemed content and sated. 

Levi shuddered, his mind nowhere near coherent enough to keep his alpha in check for the entire duration of the scent-marking. He hadn’t even realized that he had skidded to a halt or that he was burying his nose in the soft chocolate locks of his omega. 

When he finally came down from his high, his alpha sufficiently sated by the obvious mark and claim on his omega, he suddenly felt vibrations through his chest. Only then did he hear the low sound coming from the brunette’s throat. A low, happy, sated purring. The omega was purring. Fucking purring. In his arms. What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened. 

Levi’s mind could barely keep up with the situation, even less with the alpha-hating omega seemingly so happy and content in his arms. His own confusion only lasted a second though, as the turmoil and disarray of thoughts of his omega were now clearly noticeable in his scent. The brat seemed as confused and perhaps even conflicted by his own action as Levi felt. 

Levi’s reaction was instantaneous and instinctual. The hand on the omegas back immediately started rubbing soothing circles into him, as his scent flared with protectiveness and comfort. He bit back the soothing croon that threatened to spill out of his throat; his pride too big to let him do that to anyone other than a mate.

And this brat was not it. Not his mate.

The thought helped to calm him down and after a second of collecting his thoughts, he continued his fast-paced stride. With renewed purpose and determination he headed for the campus again.

As he entered through the front gates, students were blatantly staring daggers at them. His gunmetal eyes narrowed and his body tensed at the close proximity of so many people to the vulnerable omega in his arms. He snarled at the first alpha that dared to look at the chocolate mob resting happily on his shoulder and earned himself a bared neck in return. No one seemed foolish enough to challenge him. He would have ripped them to shreds and they seemed to sense it. His whole body was tense, muscles flexing, nerves lying bare. These shit-alphas staring at his omega were walking on thin ice here. He held back baring his teeth constantly and headed straight for Hanjis Lab. 

How the brunette was still sleeping contently in his arms, was a mystery to Levi. His growl and snarls had vibrated through his entire body and he was sure that he would wake the lovely omega with his display. But the brat seemed happy to continue sleeping in his arms. 

Without giving it a second thought, he kicked the doors to Hanji’s Lab open and snarled through gritted teeth “OUT! Everyone except for shitty glasses, out! _Now!_ ” 

When multiple perplexed faces sat stunned on their asses; not moving an inch, Levi growled, baring his teeth, clearly visible to everyone and commanded in his icy voice “Move your sorry asses now! Or I will hand them to you in such a way that you won’t be able to take a proper dump in the next two weeks! GET A MOVE ON!”

They didn’t need to be told twice. Wait, yeah these shit-wits clearly did need to be told twice, but at least they were scrambling now. A small smirk adorned his face at the sight of the students almost shitting their pants trying to get away from him. He had not lost his touch after all. 

The perplexed faces of idiots were quickly replaced by a high-pitched shrieking voice he had come to detest oh so much. Hanji squeaked as she sighted them. Loudly and in an infuriatingly earsplitting way. And then she started babbling, bombarding him with questions. ‘why was he holding an omega’; ‘why was he scent-marked’; ‘why was the omega in heat’; ‘was this his mate’; ‘had he finally found a mate’; ‘why had he not done something about the heat if this was his mate’ and upon inspecting the face that was still and - god knows how - contently sleeping on his shoulder ‘how he and Eren met’. 

Levi blinked, irritated at the shit-storm of questions the other had just exploded on him but held his snarky comment back to instead simply ask “Eren?” 

“Yup, that’s Eren there in your arms. Eren Jaeger. Bright eyes is one of my students in sociology. He specializes in dynamics; an always avid defender of omega rights, but oh, I thought he was a beta... Oh my god… I guess he’s not. Oh this is so exciting. He’s an omega, Levi! I can gather data from him. A late-bloomer and potential test subj-… mpfh!“ and before she could finish her annoying babbling, Levi abruptly and roughly covered her mouth with his hand. Shutting her up for now; but not for long he knew. 

A deep-seated scowl was now showing on his refined features and his mouth was twisted in disgust. How he hated it when Hanji started rambling. He didn’t want to listen to her insane blabbering before she gave the brat some suppressants and answered some of his questions. Truth be told he didn’t’ want to listen to her insane babbling _at all_ , but he resigned himself to it if it meant the brat would get what he needed. 

“Hanji, stop sprouting shit and give the brat some suppressants. _Now!_ ” Levi’s voice was commanding, laced with every bit of alpha potency he could muster and left no room for arguments. 

Hanji scrambled to comply; coming back quickly with a vial and a syringe in her hand. 

Seeing the crazy scientist walk back to his omega; syringe in her hand and that lunatic expression on her face, made Levi let out a warning growl, baring his teeth at the brunette approaching them. Her eyes widened for a fraction but instead of fear, interest sparked in her eyes. And that was even worse. Levi had just dug his own grave and he knew it. He would not be able to get rid of her pestering and all of her questions for who knows how long. Fucking hell, he knew following that intoxicating smell would mean getting into a huge mess and there he had it. _Fuck._

Hanji continued approaching them, baring her neck in a clear sign of submission; sating his inner alpha that stirred at the thought of someone else touching his omega. Levi eyed her suspiciously but decided on her prompting, to settle down in a chair so that she could administer the suppressants to Eren more easily. 

He shifted Eren’s body slightly earning himself an unhappy whine of protest in response to the loss of proximity. But he didn’t care. At least not so much now that it meant the brat would get the direly needed suppressants. He didn’t want to think about the possibility of them not working. He wouldn’t be able to leave the brat alone; not being able to stand the thought of another alpha on top of the brunette. A low growl escaped through his gritted teeth at the thought. But he also knew that he would not be strong enough to withstand the intoxicating smell that radiated off the boy that he now knew was named Eren. 

He had been around his fair share of omegas – even omegas in heat. But he had never been affected. Of course he had smelled them and had known that his body would comply if he had wanted to, but he had always been able to withstand the hormones without beating much of a sweat. He had never really understood the appeal of it – mating and bonding - until he had scented that delectable smell of earl grey mixed with vanilla and a hint of cinnamon. He felt pulled to it, and he feared that he would ravish the taller brunette if his tempting scent wasn’t subdued within the next few hours. 

Fucking hell, he wasn’t one of those shitty alphas that succumbed to their inner alpha. And he would damn well try his hardest to make sure the brat was safe. From _any_ alpha – including himself. 

With his eyebrows furrowed, he gently peeled Eren’s arm off from where he had clutched onto the fabric of his shirt and held it forward for Hanji to administer the dose of suppressants he prayed to god would help. 

A shaky whimper left Eren’s puffy lips as the needle pierced through his sun-kissed skin. Levi didn’t even have the chance to register the distress in the omega's scent before the croon escaped his lips. The whimper seemed to have been enough to draw the sound out. 

Shocked by his own action, but unable to stop it, he stared wide-eyed at Hanji. The scientist knew his stance on dynamics and mates, and her expression seemed to mirror his own: Surprise and shock. But only for a brief moment before a triumphant cheshire-like grin spread on her face from cheek to cheek. The grin only widened at the sight of Eren contently nestling himself into Levi’s arms again, nuzzling his nose into his neck and letting out a soft purr in response.

“Oh. My. God!” and too Levi’s dismay she squealed again “You two are soooooo cute together. I’m so happy for you grumpy~”

“Shut the fuck up, shitty glasses and tell me what the fuck is happening here!” Levi was so done with this situation. He was done with the whole fucking day. All he wanted to do was take a fucking shower. But then again, the instinctual driven part of him did not want to wash off the scent of the omega, and that disgusted him even more. Uncomfortable at the thought he shifted, instinctually cradling Eren closer to his chest and stared at Hanji instead; waiting for an explanation that he deemed acceptable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will start with Eren waking up, so you guys will have to wait to see what Hanji's verdict is and what she tells Levi :D I will probably make it a flashback from Levi's POV to that conversation (i don't think he'll like what she has to say though XD)


	5. Questions upon Questions

Eren felt warm, comfortable even. He felt grounded, as if someone was holding him close and treating him like he was something precious. His mind was foggy, lulled into a deep slumber that he never wanted to wake from. 

He was not seeing his normal nightmares. He was not reliving the oh so vivid memories of the car crash for the 100th time. He was not reliving seeing his mother bloodied behind the wheel; limbs torn and disfigured, broken and bent to inhuman angles. He was not reliving the gruesome moments of Grisha beating the crap out of him. He was not reliving lying helpless on the floor as his ‘father’ kept throwing insults at him. _‘It should have been YOU, not HER!’_

He wasn’t dreaming at all. He was floating. Floating in an empty space but he still felt… _safe_. 

He let himself drift, not caring about anything other than the embrace he felt; focusing instead on the feeling of being held close, being protected from all the evil that lurked in the shadows. Being comforted and…being… _loved_? Eren wasn’t sure, but he had not felt like this in years. Not since his mother had died. He couldn’t quite remember what it felt like; being held in someone’s arm, being safe and relaxed. Not having to fear another beating, not having to fear his nightmares and the constant guilt that was eating away at him. He couldn’t remember being happy. He wasn’t sure if he was happy in this very moment, but it felt good. It felt right. 

As he drifted further, he slowly felt the embrace fade away. He couldn’t quite place how he knew it, but he just knew that someone had left his side. Someone important. But Eren didn’t know who. The warmth surrounding him was now gone. And the constant heat that he had felt surging beneath; threatening to drown him, was slowly fading away. 

A different type of warmth filled him; as if the warmth that had surrounded him was now springing to life within him. He still felt comfortable, not as much as before the mystery person had decided to leave, but still comfortable enough to not wake from his slumber yet. 

He focused on the warmth inside of him and suddenly the space started to shift. At first he didn’t realize where he was or what was happening around him. The calming blank whiteness that had surrounded him was replaced with something else. He was no longer floating. He was standing. Standing in a place he had been to before. Only once, but he remembered it vividly. He took in the ancient trees that surrounded the green meadow, the chirping of birds he had heard before and a small, relaxed smile crept onto his face. He knew exactly where he was. 

A few hours later his drowsy eyes slowly blinked as he came back to consciousness. Taking in his surroundings through hazy lids, the clean almost soothing room and bed he had been placed in. White sheets were neatly layed out beneath him, a white blanket firmly tucked in at his sides. 

The moment of lingering over his surroundings was quickly replaced though. The safety and comfort he had felt seconds ago were instantly exchanged for fear and panic. _Where was he_? Where had the alpha taken him? What was he planning to do with him, and most importantly where was his alpha?

Fucking hell. He had _**no**_ alpha! When was his stupid inner omega finally going to realize that there was no _‘his’_ alpha. He didn’t even know the raven’s name and even if he knew, he would still never bond to an alpha. Whether he was an omega or not! He could damn well take care of himself, so he didn’t need one of those shitty alphas to help him with his heat or anything. 

Talking about heat… Eren’s brows furrowed as he realized that he was no longer feeling dizzy and unbearably hot. The heat that had pooled in his stomach was gone; the slickness between his legs had been cleaned away and luckily not been replaced by new one. And his mind was clear. He wasn’t lusting after someone or internally screaming for anyone to help him make the heat and the pain of feeling so empty go away. No, he was clear-headed and coherent. 

As he shifted and tried to get up, he was suddenly interrupted by a high-pitched squeal that he was quite familiar with. He slowly turned his head to his right, barely taking in his professor that dashed to his side in a blurry instant; moving faster than he would have ever given her credit for. But he didn’t have time to question how professor Zoe had gotten here or why she was here, before the other started whining loudly “Ereeeen!! You’re finally awake. Thank god. You were out for hours, but Levi prohibited me from taking any blood or doing any tests on you. He’s so stingyyyy, Ereeeeeen, will you let me take some blood from you? You are such an interesting specimen, presenting so late. You’re 19, right? That’s so late! Hmm, have you experienced any traumatic event, or anything of the sort? That would make sense. Oh that would be so interesting to research…”

Eren could hardly register the stream of information and questions that his professor bombarded him with. He barely heard her voice trailing off mumbling to herself how a traumatic event could indeed be the cause of his late presenting and how interesting it would be to prove this theory using Eren as a test subject. 

He didn’t really care about her mumbling and wasn’t even sure if it was directed at him. His own thoughts were a mess. He had been out for hours? What had happened in the meantime and had he been asleep the whole time? Had he missed all his lessons? Where was he and why was Hanji here? Who was this Levi guy? Was that the name of his alpha? Was that the name of _THE_ alpha, he corrected himself angrily; still frustrated over the fact that every time he thought about the raven his inner omega somehow managed to take over and mess up his labeling for the alpha. But why had this guy prohibited her from taking any of his blood? 

He uncomfortably shifted again, trying desperately to make sense of the situation, when suddenly a smell washed over him. The all too familiar scent of sandalwood and pine enveloped him slowly from below, calming his mind instantly and making his tumbling thoughts align in clarity. He looked down and realized that an expensive-looking black suit jacket had been neatly placed over him. With a curious glance he picked the clothing up and took a small sniff of the soothing scent. The sudden urge to clutch the item closely to his chest and to bury his nose into the intoxicating smell overwhelmed Eren momentarily. Angry at his inner stupid, weak omega, he tried to throw the clothing to the side but ended up clutching it more desperately. Fucking hell. 

A small chuckle had him stare directly into the amused eyes of professor Zoe that were sparkling with an obvious maybe not so professional curiosity. He scowled, throwing her an angry glare as he sat up straight; still feeling rather weak and exhausted. 

Professor Zoe was watching him intently, taking in every action and scribbling down unreadable notes into her tiny red notebook. Eren scrutinized the action, he didn’t like being treated as a subject, especially not without his consent. He was a fucking human being, not some animal in a zoo. 

His professor seemed to sense his unease and stopped writing notes to instead gently inform him that he was in the infirmary of Trost Campus. 

Infirmary? Trost Campus? How had he gotte…Before he could ponder the question further, his fuzzy mind replayed a soothing voice telling him that he was taking him to Campus to get him some suppressants. The alpha, he quickly realized. The raven had said that to him. But he had not believed that the black-haired stranger would actually make good on his promise. 

Eren didn’t know what to make of it. No alpha he had ever met was able to resist an omega in heat, much less walk away from them. The instincts were too strong. Having just experienced how haywire his instincts had been close to a compatible alpha, he didn’t want to imagine what it must be like for an alpha to sense an omega in heat. If they didn’t have complete and utter control over themselves, their by nature more aggressive and possessive demeanor would shine through and not allow them to walk away from the omega. But the raven had just done that. He must have resisted all of his urges, fought against his own nature just to bring him here and leave him to the beta professor. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as Eren had made him out to be. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the professor as she slowly and in a gentle soothing voice started to speak “Eren, I know it must be a lot to take in, so let me clear some things up. I heard what happened from Levi, he brought you here and made sure that you were ok and that the suppressants were working before leaving your side.” 

So Levi was indeed the name of the raven. He made sure he was ok? A part of him keened at the gentle gesture of the alpha, while the other part reprimanded him that he didn’t need an alpha worrying about him. He didn’t need an alpha at all. Still, he was grateful to the raven – Levi – he internally corrected, that he had not been taken advantage of. Just imagining what could’ve happened if Levi hadn’t stumbled into the alley to save him had his whole body shiver again in fear and disgust. With a trembling voice he tried to take his mind off of it and instead asked his professor: “Professor, who is this Levi?”

A low giggle tumbled over the lips of the brunette as he gave her a confused look. A grin too wide for her small features spread from cheek to cheek as she looked him over before finally opening her mouth “Ereeeeeen, I’ve told you for the 1000th time already to call me Hanji. Professor Zoe just makes me sound so oooold” she whined as Eren stared at her incredulously. Was she ever actually going to answer any of his questions?

“Uhm, okey. H-Hanji, so who is this guy” – “Levi? You actually _seriously_ don’t know about him? Pff, oh Eren you must truly live under a rock” She giggled again, much to Eren’s dismay but then finally continued to answer his question “Professor Levi Ackerman, Eren. That’s his name. He’s teaching English literature here at the university, while conducting his research on the side. I think your friend Armin and Jean are in his class. Oh and don’t believe the nickname, he might have a very grumpy demeanor but he has a heart of gold. Oh shit, don’t ever tell him I said that, he will gut me alive” 

Eren’s eyes widened momentarily as he took in the obvious contradiction Hanji had just given him. A heart of gold that would gut her alive? Yeah, sounds about right. But somehow he couldn’t shake the feeling that both descriptions were somehow very accurate for the raven. He wasn’t really sure about the ‘heart of gold’ part, but he knew that Levi was gentle. He had never felt as safe as in the arms of the raven…

He shook his head, trying to get rid of all the mushy fluffy thoughts his omega was springing to life with. He would definitely have to get used to this. He had never really understood what his friends had been talking about; saying that controlling instincts and their second gender had been hard for a few of them – especially Armin as a… ugh he hated saying it but as a _fellow_ omega. 

Despite majoring in sociology and specializing in dynamics, reading about it and experiencing it first-hand were vastly different. He knew what being an omega meant: Going into a heat every 3 to 4 months, spending a week of craving an alpha and drowning in sexual urges; not being fully coherent or able to do anything other than trying to satisfy their needs to mate and breed. There were suppressants and contraceptives of course that every omega had access to; diminishing the risk of getting pregnant. But if not taken or forgotten they still very much _could_ get pregnant. It was in their nature after all. He had never met an omega that did not talk about wanting to have a family at some point. Nurture was in their blood. 

He had been so surprised when Armin had brought it up. Wanting a family at some point; not minding the whole _‘giving-birth’_ part. The look he gave Armin must have been incredulous. His petite blond best friend had completely shocked him with that statement. He had tried not to imagine what it all meant and had instead opted for quickly changing the subject. Even now, thinking about being able to get pregnant and have a family repulsed Eren more than it overjoyed him. 

Another wave of confusion was interrupted as Hanji spoke up “Eren, I know this all must be a lot to take in. And as one of my students you already know about most things, but there are still some things you might not be aware of. “ 

Eren frowned but let her continue nonetheless. 

“First of all, you presented really late. As you know omega’s usually present during their teens, experiencing their first heat between 13 and 15. Presenting with 19 means that your body has repressed your second nature due to something having happened to you; probably in an attempt to not put even more pressure on your developing body. But presenting so late means, that your whole rhythm will be messed up too… Eren… your body will be quite unstable for a bit. You might experience more, irregular heats in the beginning. We’re talking about a heat every month if you’re lucky… It could be more frequent… “

“M-More… _frequent_?!” Eren’s thoughts were a mess, trying to take in what Hanji had just told him. He would have more heats? More than 3 to 4 times a year? How was he supposed to handle that? And what would happen if they just happened without him realizing. What would happen then? His body started to shake at the thought of this morning’s incident repeating itself only in a few weeks’ notice. 

Hanji was quick to catch on as her hand was instantly placed on Eren’s leg, rubbing soothing patterns into it. “Eren, don’t worry, I will give you shots of suppressants that you can administer yourself, if needed. They work instantly and obscure your scent, so nothing will happen to you. We’re going to make sure of that, ok?”

Eren simply nodded, not really wrapping his head around the whole situation or the clear mentioning of _‘we’_ as Hanji spoke. But Hanji was obviously not done yet, fidgeting as she tried to contain herself to not just drown her student in all the information and questions that she still had left. 

“So Eren, you need to carry the suppressants around with you all the time and administer a shot the instant you feel your body going into heat ok? The suppressants only work if taken before or during the first stage of the heat; if taken later their effect won’t take hold in your body. Also, if you do have to experience a heat, it is my obligation to tell you that since your body is adjusting to your new secondary gender, they will be more intense but will luckily only last 2 to 3 days instead of the full week of a normal heat. “ 

Without realizing what was happening, his eyes started moistening. Why was this happening to him? Why couldn’t he just be a regular beta? Why was he a fucking omega? Frustrated he angrily wiped the tears away, looked up at Hanji and hissed _“Anything else I need to be aware of?”_

“Your emotions will be pretty unstable. You will most likely experience mood-swings and perhaps feel even lost to your own emotions. I’ve also read about omegas that presented late to having had heats induced by their own overemotional state, so be careful of that. Lastly I would like to ask you some questions if you’re ok with that?”

His own emotions inducing a heat? Eren felt so exhausted at the thought of his own body betraying him and doing something like inducing a heat for showing his emotions. He just wanted to curl up into multiple warm fuzzy blankets and cry his heart out. He felt so lost. Everything he had believed in had been turned upside-down. Everything he had worked for and everything he knew to be true was suddenly turned around, twisted by a cruel joke of destiny.

How would his friends treat him now that he was an omega? How would everyone react to him? Armin would be there for him he knew, but Mikasa? The thought of having her around as an alpha made his stomach twist in discomfort. It pained him to think it, but he didn’t want to see her or have her anywhere near him. Not until he had figured this out and had accepted it himself. 

On Hanji’s request he gave her a detailed account of what had happened this morning. He was slightly confused at her asking what exactly he had felt like upon smelling Levi, upon being lifted into his arms and upon scent-marking him. He shifted uncomfortably as he slowly answered her question “I felt… safe… protected and… it was… s-soothing. It felt as i-if… as if…” He shook his head in frustration at what he was about to say out loud. He couldn’t believe he had actually felt like this, but it seemed like it was important to Hanji to know what exactly had happened, so he forced himself to continue “It felt as if a missing piece fell into place. It felt right to be in... h-his arms, as if I belonged there... Is that it? Can I go now?”

He was too embarrassed to look up at Hanji, fully realizing that he was blushing profusely; having only whispered the last part in vain hope that his professor wouldn’t hear it. Which had clearly failed as the scientist nodded with a wide grin on her face and took a few more notes. Eren couldn’t quite place her expression. Happiness? Joy? He knew that she had a professional interest in him – as he was the first omega she had met to present so late, but he didn’t’ know what to make of the giddy and overjoyed expression on her face. 

Before he could further ponder over the scientist’s behavior, she denied his request. “I think it’s best if you stay here and rest. The suppressants are working, but it takes time for your body to adjust to the dose. It is a lot to take in and I believe it would be better if you do that in peace and quiet. I can request Armin to come to the infirmary so that you have someone to talk to?”

"Sure" he mumbled trying to steady his jumbling thoughts.

All the fight he had in him simply vanished at the realization of where he would have to go back to if he were to leave the infirmary. Home. Back to Grisha. He dreaded the thought of having to go back as a newly presented omega. His father would have a lot to say about that. And surely he would receive another beating… i-if… his whole body shook and convulsed at his next thought… i-if not… _more_ … 

Tears were threatening to spill as he realized how weak and helpless he truly was. He couldn’t do anything about it. The dormitories didn’t allow other people to sleep over, so he couldn’t crash at Armin’s place. He would inevitably have to go back and face the demon waiting for him behind closed doors. 

Eren didn’t know if he could handle going back or if he could handle taking a beating today after all that had just happened. He hadn’t dealt with the fact that he was an omega much less with the trauma he had experienced just a few hours earlier, so how could he possibly deal with his abusive father on top of that?

When at last Hanji left the room, closing the door and locking it – just for safety reasons Eren assumed – he finally let go. All the emotions he had held in, had kept bundled and stuffed into a corner of his mind, bubbled up and overcame him in an instant. Without questioning it for once, he did what felt natural to him; he did as his omega told him to do. Eren crawled up into a tiny ball of insecurities and pain; sheets tangled around his shaking and trembling body and started crying; crying bitter tears of angst, fear and despair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My poor sweet cinnamon roll, Eren QwQ I feel so bad for writing this T_T
> 
> Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed it. I usually don't have trouble writing crazy Hanji, but here she had to keep it together for a bit. I hope it wasn't too ooc ^^


	6. Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried writing a bit of suspense in this one, first try so let me know what you think ^^ 
> 
> Enjoy~~

Levi wanted to do nothing more than take a fucking shower. He needed one; desperately. Despite not breaking a sweat from kicking those shitty alphas faces in or carrying the omega all the way to campus, he smelled. In any other circumstance he would have said that he reeked, but he just couldn’t bring himself to dismiss the sweet, sweet aroma sticking to him as anything other than delicious. 

The primal part of him seemed content, happy to show off how well his omega’s pheromones and smell mixed with his own. How well their scents complemented each other; blending together to form a new delightfully pleasant flavor that tasted… like _home_ ; as if they _belonged_ mixed. But the rational part of Levi, which overweighed heavily now that he was out of reach from the delectable omega, wasn’t too happy with the idea of having to walk around campus with the scent of an omega on him. 

It wasn’t _just_ the scent of an omega on him; he hadn’t just touched the omega or something innocent like that. No, it was the scent of their smells mingling; screaming to everyone that they had scent-marked each other, _claimed each_ other to show anyone else of their dynamic that they were taken. 

Levi shuddered at the thought. While he didn’t mind the fact that the brat would be relatively safe with his involuntary claim on him, he himself was most definitely not taken and wasn’t planning on being claimed, he grumbled to himself; despite temporarily already having been so by the impulsive brat. 

His inner alpha on the other hand was keen on denying him, smugly prancing around and showing off the aroma that was clinging to him. Levi pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and sighed gloomily. Great, just fucking great. As if all of the shit-heads weren’t staring at him already, whispering behind his back who the omega must be that ‘tamed the demon’. 

_‘Tamed the demon’_. Tch. ‘What a bunch of morons’, he thought with an over exaggerated eye-roll. The nickname wasn’t news to him; he obviously knew about how his students addressed him behind his back, but he wasn’t very impressed by it. It once again showed their lack of creativity and comprehension of the English language; they could have gone with _anything_ really; could have labeled him the spawn of evil for all he cared, but no, his _English literature students_ only came up with _‘demon’_. And then they wondered why their grades were shitty. Fucking idiots. 

He swiftly walked down the halls, ignoring all the stares and whispers that followed him at every turn, focusing instead on processing the wall of information Hanji had drowned him in during the last hour or so. ‘Once shitty four-eyes starts babbling...’ he grumpily thought to himself. 

Most of the information Hanji had given him wasn’t news to him. Despite _clearly_ knowing that he had a degree in sociology as well she had actually started off with giving him generic and basic information about newly presented omegas. 

 

_“No shit Sherlock” he gritted through his teeth, his annoyance clear as day and one death-glare later she hastily switched to asking him retarded questions instead._

_How he felt around the omega. What he had smelled like to him. What he smelled like to him now. How it felt having him in his arms and with an utterly disgusting expression of giddiness and excitement she asked the seemingly most important question to her: how he had felt like when Eren had scent-marked him._

_He had rolled his eyes at that. “What does it matter, shitty glasses?” He didn’t see the point of this dumb interrogation and he wasn’t about to humor her without knowing what she was on about._

_“Come oooon, Leviii. Don’t be so stingy. You won’t let me take any of his blood and you won’t let me take any tests, so the least you could do is answer my questions, pleeease?”-  
“Tch. Fucking hell, stop whining like the fucking toddler you are and tell me why the fuck it matters what I _ felt _like.” How he hated Hanjis whining and wailing, he would very much like to stuff her mouth and make her shut up, but even that peace and quiet wouldn’t last long, knowing that his childhood friend would just find another ridiculous way to annoy him instead._

_So he opted for emphasizing his statement with another glare, cradling Eren closer to his chest for comfort. As if sensing his displeasure and annoyance, the omega nuzzled further into his neck, trying to get as close as possible. The closeness and warmth did their job soothing some of Levi’s nerves while a small smile crept onto his face watching the brown mob getting comfortable on his shoulder again._

_“Woah, woah, holy shit. Let me get a camera; I think I just saw something impossible, a miracle even… aaaaand it’s gone.”_

_If looks could kill, Hanji would have been strangled, suffocated, drowned, sliced open and gutted in this very instant. Levi furiously glared at the crazy brunette grinning at him from a safe distance. His mercury eyes narrowed as she made no attempt to apologize or answer his question. Was she getting off on this shit?_

_“Answer the GOD DAMN question, **Hanji**!” _

_To his dismay Hanji just shrugged, but she knew that him using her actual name meant that his patience was wearing dangerously thin._

_“Fine, fine. I want to know how you felt, because from what I can tell from your story it sounds like something I read about but haven’t witnessed before. And to make sure of it, I need to know what you felt while finding him, holding him in your arms and yes, while he was scent-marking you too, so just humor me, will you?”_

_Something shitty glasses had read about but hadn’t witnessed herself? Levi knew how extensive the dynamics research of his childhood friend was, so if she had never witnessed whatever she was thinking of then it must be something rare and most likely unpleasant. He sighed loudly but finally gave in and started explaining “His… Eren’s scent was intoxicating. As much as I wanted to walk away from it and not get into this shitty mess I am in now, I couldn’t walk away even if I tried.”_

_He exchanged a glance with her and it was enough for her to grasp every underlying nuance of that statement that he did not care to voice explicitly. Hanji had always been good at reading between the lines and she knew him well enough to know exactly what he was hinting at. That he had always been in control, that omegas and their heats didn’t affect him and that he has no problem to walk away from them at all. That is, until now._

_The brunette just nodded at that, waiting for him to continue. He threw her another glare before saying things he never thought he’d say out loud “When I took him in my arms, it felt like he was molding into them... Like he was made for them. Tch. Fucking hell. Don’t make me say shit like that out loud; it makes me sound so…” – “Smitten?”_

_Levi silently added ‘skin her alive’ to the list of ways he would slowly torture the brunette to death as he threw her another death-glare “I swear to god Hanji, if I could move right now…”_

_Instead of a shiver running through that crazy body of hers as he had anticipated, he was instead met with a giggle. A fucking giggle. She would pay for this._

_“Yeah, yeah, grumpy. So what did it feel like when he scent-marked you? And how do you feel about your scents mixing together? I must say the aroma is lovely” she grinned, another one of her Cheshire-like grin spreading from cheek to cheek as she stared at him impatiently; waiting for the answer she most anticipated._

_Levi couldn’t help his lips quickly twitching up into a smirk, only to be replaced with his trade-mark blank expression when he noticed the glint in Hanji’s eyes at his smug reaction to her compliment. Fuck. He didn’t know why but he somehow knew that he was digging his own grave._

_“It took all I had not to pounce the brat right there and then. Well technically, that was before the scent-marking, during the marking I… “ – “Yeeees?” the excitement was clear in Hanji’s voice as she urged him to continue. “Fucking hell, I kinda wasn’t in full control for a moment there. I just stood there and let him do what he wanted.” Levi averted his eyes, opting to look at the source of the miserable situation he was in now instead of the aggravatingly overjoyed expression on his childhood friend’s face._

_Eren was still sleeping snugly in his embrace; he hadn’t even realized that they had moved to the infirmary instead of staying in Hanji’s lab. All the while nothing seemed to faze the brat in his arms. Well, not really nothing, since his own discomfort and annoyance seemed to have been enough to make the brat move on instinct, cradling closer and trying to soothe him. Soothe him. He didn’t know if he had imagined it, but his instincts told him that that was what the brat had been trying to achieve. The rational part of his brain highly doubted that but was suddenly interrupted by shitty glasses speaking up._

_“So I take it you didn’t mind him scent-marking you then? And I assume that you don’t mind your scents mixing together at all either right? I actually think you like it, don’t you Levi?”_

_If he hadn’t been so busy staring lovingly at the vulnerable bundle of omega in his arms he would have sent another glare into her direction, but somehow he couldn’t take his eyes off the brown mob resting on his shoulder. He didn’t want to let the kid go, he suddenly realized to his dismay. He didn’t want to leave the brat in the infirmary where he couldn’t make sure that he was safe. He was the safest in his arms, his alpha purred, trying to convince his rational side, so it’s best to stay with him._

_Hanji cleared her throat audibly; snapping Levi out of his daze and making him look up at her grinning face._

_“I take it you don’t want to leave him, huh? No wonder, if what I think is true then you will have a hard time staying away from him Levi. Unless of course, you two bond”_

_His eyes widened momentarily, gunmetal orbs blinking in confusion but quickly narrowing again seconds later; a scowl spreading over his refined features as he tried to make sense of what Hanji was saying. Why would he have a hard time staying away from the brat? He barely even knew him. The brat didn’t even know his name either, so what was shitty glasses on about here? “Explain shit-specs”_

_“Well you see… “ the enthusiasm clear in her trembling voice as she for once carefully selected each word she was about to say, knowing full well that how she presented this to Levi would matter in more than one way.  
“You see, I’ve read about this before… but like I said I’ve never witnessed it. The pull you two feel towards each other seems exceptionally strong, and I know first-hand that you are the last person to be easily affected by pheromones. Also the way Eren is acting around you, trying to soothe you even in his sleep and scent-marking you instinctually, they just all point to it.” – “Point to **WHAT**?!” _

_“Point to you two being what we scientifically call ‘true mates’”._

_Levi just stared at her._

_He stared at her; his mind fuzzy, trying to make connections, trying to see the bigger picture that Hanji was seeing. He had heard about something of the sort before, having studied sociology and literature, of course he had come across tales of ‘fated mates’, ‘soulmates’ and the like before. But he had never believed in them and scientifically speaking the phenomenon was so rare that no real studies have been conducted yet. And now shitty glasses was suggesting that he and Eren were… were_ what _exactly? True mates? That’s just ridiculous!_

_He glared at Hanji again, that was definitely not an explanation that he deemed acceptable.  
He hissed under his breath, trying not to wake the brat in his anger “No way in hell Hanji. I don’t even know the kid! Besides only a few cases are actually recorded since it’s so rare. There’s no way in hell that me and this brat are mates.” A defiant glare punctuated his last sentence, challenging the scientist to prove him wrong, to come up with a different, more plausible explanation, to just make this mess go away. _

_Hanji however, could no longer contain her giddiness as a stream of arguments sprang forth from her; voice scolding as she tried to convince the stubborn grumpy man before her of what she knew to be true._

_“Levi, think about it. You feel strangely pulled to him. You don’t want to leave his side and the urge to protect him is insanely strong. I can see it in the way you are cradling him away from me, a beta, not really a threat to the both of you, but you’re bond is newly formed and you don’t want to take any chances. Also there’s the way you look at him, as if he’s your whole world and you would do anything for him, or give him just about anything. And if you want to have another argument about dynamics, you fully know that an alpha only has the urge to protect and look after an omega in the way you are looking after him now, when they have just mated or bonded an omega. You have done neither of those, instead your need to protect your omega from even **yourself** was so strong that you brought him here to give him suppressants. No alpha would have done that to an omega in heat, not even the strongest ones. Now tell me again how that is the normal behavior for someone even as stubborn-minded as yourself!”_

_For once he didn’t’ retort. He just looked at the bundle in his arms and felt a strange warmth spread through him as Hanji’s words sank in. This shit couldn’t be real, damn it. But the warmth he felt when looking at Eren was real. Too real for him._

_He slowly shifted, standing up and placing the omega softly on the bed; tucking the white sheet in at the sides and smoothing out the wrinkled surface. A loud whine and ensuing whimper had his head shoot up in worry, instantly scanning the brat for any injuries or sources for discomfort. But there was nothing; Eren was fine, he realized with a sigh as the tension that had built up momentarily bled out from his muscles. The brat had just turned to the side facing him, trying to inch closer to him, letting out another whine as a hand grabbed for his shirt._

_The brat didn’t want him to leave._

_His heart clenched and thumbed fiercely in his chest as a new wave of warmth engulfed him. His fingers tingled; a spark of electricity running up his spine, making his body shudder involuntarily as he took in the sight of his omega clutching to him, not wanting him to go or leave his side. His hand moved instinctively, caressing the cheek of the brunette lying in the bed slowly; rubbing soothing circles into the delicate skin before tucking a stray strand of soft brown hair behind the omegas ear. Before knowing what he was doing or why it felt right doing so, he took off his suit jacket and gently draped it over the brat lying underneath him._

_Eren finally let go of his shirt, only to clutch the jacket tightly to himself and bury his nose in the expensive fabric. Levi would have usually killed anyone that tried to pull a stunt like that but somehow seeing Eren nuzzling into his jacket filled him with pride instead of the normal disgust. Fucking hell._

_He turned around facing the glowing, grinning Hanji and slowly in his usual icy voice commanded “Shitty four-eyes, don’t let anyone near him if you value your live, are we clear?” Hanji only let out a giggle, annoying him even further before telling him to instruct Arlert to come to the infirmary after class, to which Levi started growling furiously. Had he not just told shitty glasses that he didn’t want anyone near Eren? Her grin only widened as her teasing continued “Armin is Eren’s best friend Levi, no need to be jealous, lover-boy. Also he’s an omega so, no worries there” and she actually had the audacity to wink at him. Wink. At. Him._

_He threw her one last death-glare adding ‘poison’ to his list, before he strode out of the room._

 

He had missed almost all of his classes; having only a single one left to teach. Not that he minded much - especially today - ; getting away from his students was like a breath of fresh air sometimes. Not having to answer questions, not having to listen to their sometimes rather cringe-worthy attempts at interpretations of oh so clear text passages, not having to listen to some of the flat-out irritatingly high-pitched voices of his female students… no, he didn’t mind missing the lessons Erwin forced him to teach one bit right now. What he _did_ mind though was shitty eyebrows grilling him on ‘why exactly that happened’ and with ‘how much paperwork he will make up for it’. Fucking cater-brows. 

He marched into the lecture hall just in time to see surprised faces eying him with dejection. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but this class is _very much_ taking place. Now get back to your seats and sit down.” His voice was laced with annoyance, his face indifferent to the whines and low protests he got from some of his students. “Kirstein, if I hear you complaining one more time you will hand in another 5000 word paper on the topic of ‘silence in the works of Elie Wiesel’ and I hope for you that it is better than your last one.”

He didn’t need to turn around to know that Kirstein had begrudgingly sat down and would keep quiet for the rest of his lesson. Fucking brats. This was one of the reasons why he hated having to teach lessons instead of just doing research. All the students thought that they could get some easy credits by choosing their native language as a minor subject; all to be disappointed miserably when they found out that Levi didn’t roll that way. And now he was stuck with students who had no real interest in his subject. Tch. 

Levi was about to start his lesson, when he felt a pair of eyes boring into his back. He turned to see a petit blond boy with bright blue eyes staring into his gunmetal ones. He stared back; just to see how long it would take for Arlert to waver, but to his surprise the boy didn’t relent; continuing to muster him, judging him from what he could make out of the expression of the younger one. Arlert’s gaze fell to his neck and Levi immediately knew what this was all about. 

For a brief second he worried that Arlert had realized that it was Eren’s scent on him, just to be reminded that no one knew who that scent belonged to. Eren had just presented this morning after all, so not even the some-what smart blonde could have picked up on it, yet. Still the staring was getting on his nerves. “Arlert, do you have anything to say or are you going to continue gawking at me for the entire lesson?” 

His cheeks took on a bright crimson as the whole room turned around to look at him with expectation. If they were waiting for _Armin Arlert_ to have enough courage to ask the question of ‘who the omega that had scent-marked professor Ackerman’ was, then they would be waiting ‘till they were old and grey. Shitty kids.

The two hours passed without any further interruptions; Levi’s thoughts only wandering to the pretty brat lying in the infirmary twice, ok fuck maybe like 4 or 5 times, shit, it wasn’t like he was keeping track on it. 

He had just finished explaining the next assignment to his students – not even Kirstein daring to groan at the amount of workload he was giving them - when with the first ring of the bell the door slammed open and a dark-haired woman burst into the room. It only took her a moment to find who she was looking for, climbing up the stairs up hastily and making her way to where Arlert sat. Without giving him much of a glance or waiting for his reaction, she started talking to Arlert in a hushed voice; worry evident in her expression. 

Levi would have usually dragged Mikasa’s sorry ass straight out of his classroom and disciplined her accordingly for interrupting his lesson, but today he needed what little bit of patience he still had left to deal with the ‘other’ situation. “Class dismissed, now scramble!” he snarled. He didn’t want to see any of their faces anymore, he just wanted to go home and take that damn shower. 

Arlert was still sitting in his seat talking to Mikasa in an unsure, almost trembling voice. Levi stared at the raven-haired girl for a second with frustration before sighing. Having the same surname as him, he of course knew who she was, since he had to listen to all those ridiculous questions once she had enrolled into Trost university. Whether they were related or not; if she was his cousin or sister. Some stupid imbecile had actually dared to ask if she was his illegitimate daughter. How that fucking retard had even made it into this university was still a mystery to him – simple math seemed to elude the student that he very much hoped had failed his first few exams. Mikasa was fucking 19, and he wasn’t _that_ old. He was 30 not fucking 50. 

Mikasa’s voice was suddenly louder now, not worrying too much about other people hearing her anymore as anguish and concern seemed to overtake her usually calm demeanor “Armin! What if something happened to him? I haven’t seen or heard from him all day! He’s not answering my calls and he’s not texting back. What if something happened to Eren?!”

At the mentioning of the brat’s name, Levi slowly raised his gaze to look at the two students still lingering in the lecture hall. So Mikasa knew Eren too, he pondered; thinking that the three of them sounded close. But one look at the ravenette and Levi knew that Mikasa was an alpha and no way in hell would he send another alpha to his already vulnerable alpha-hating omega. 

He gritted his teeth at thought of the girl being anywhere near _his_ omega, trying not to dwell on the fact that he constantly thought of Eren as his when the brat didn’t even know his name. Fucking hell. 

“Arlert, I have something to discuss with you. Ackerman you may leave now.” Mikasa shot him a furious glare but he didn’t care, his voice not leaving anything up for discussion. She may be an alpha but she was still so wet behind the ears that Levi didn’t even bother to respond to the challenge her scent emitted as she walked past him. 

When Mikasa had finally left the room he turned his piercing silver orbs towards Arlert, who was most likely expecting the worst reprimand of his life for his earlier behavior, but instead Levi just sighed. “Arl- . Tch. Armin… you are friends with Eren right?” 

The confused look the blonde gave him as he addressed him with his first name had Levi wanting to roll his eyes at the kid; his expression not giving away any of his thoughts though, as his mask was as blank and impartial as ever. “Y-yes.. Sir!” Arlerts reply was meek, timidly spoken with a shy voice. 

“Good, then four-eyes was right for once. Eren is in the infirmary, resting. You need to know that Eren presented as an omega this morning – in the middle of a fucking street to boost. I was barely able to drag him back to campus and have Hanji give him some suppressants.” At the frightened and worried face of the blonde he hastily continued with some reassurances “He’s fine kid. Nothing happened, I made sure of that. He’s just exhausted and it’s a lot to take in; but he could use someone who knows how it feels like to talk to.” 

Levi stared at the blonde in front of him, too focused on the kid, waiting for a reaction or an affirmation that he had actually understood a single one of his words, to notice a shadow shift from its place next to the door. 

Armin finally opened his mouth to mumble a low “Thank you, Sir. I’ll go see him immediately.” To which Levi replied with a court nod. He watched the petite blond walk out of the door hurriedly, turning towards the infirmary with quick steps and turned around to grab his belongings from his desk; not noting another person following Armin suit. 

After a few minutes of gathering his things and bringing them back to his office, he started pacing; arguing with himself over his oh so clear desires and what to do with them. He wanted to go and see the brat again; his inner alpha was roaring loudly in approval. But shoving his instincts aside for one moment had him look at the situation differently. 

If he went back to see the brat and Eren was awake, what would he say? How should he react? Eren clearly disliked alphas, so why was he thinking that he would be an exception? Yes, he had just saved the boy from multiple shitty alphas and had brought him back, but still, if the hate for alphas ran deep, then that wouldn’t make much difference now, would it? 

Thinking about Eren’s hate for alphas, made the memories of his bruised up body resurface in Levi’s mind. His fists clenched shut, as he remembered the omega’s body littered with green, purple and blue bruises; anger pulsing though his veins at the thought of someone having done that to his innocent little omega. He cursed loudly, the urge to protect Eren becoming stronger by the minute; as picture after picture was provided by his vivid imagination; someone kicking Eren when he was lying helplessly on the ground; punching his pretty face when he most likely had done nothing wrong… Fuck it; he could always use the excuse of retrieving his jacket after all. 

Levi all but stormed out of his office, not caring about locking the door or the weird stares he was receiving once again, before rushing down the hallways to the infirmary. He needed to make sure his omega was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all i apologize to anyone who's studying English literature here; i just searched for papers on google scholar that were talking about the topic of silence in literature and picked the first one XD As you can tell i did not study that subject, my major was japanese studies haha XD 
> 
> I didn't expect writing the conversation between Hanji and Levi to be so easy, but it just kinda flowed naturally (basically throw in an insult here, throw in a stare there XD) I hope you guys enjoyed it, and yes Levi is not a people person.  
> There will be another conversation explaining what being 'true mates' exactly means, but i'm not sure when Eren will have that convo with Hanji^^


	7. Resignation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just wanted to thank you all for the amazing support i've received for this FF. So many lovely comments, and so many kudos, like i never expected this (♡´艸`)(♡´艸`) i feel very humbled :3 so thank you all very much for reading and I hope you guys enjoy chapter 7~

Eren had been crying for the better part of what felt like hours; choking up sob after sob, curled up into a tight ball, holding his trembling knees to his heaving chest, tangled up in the white sheets of the infirmary. He felt lost. So utterly lost; with no place he could go to. No place where he could feel safe and comfortable; no safe-haven; no family to help him through what he was going through; no mother to wipe away his tears, to give him a hug and tuck him into his bed. He didn’t have any of that. Not anymore. 

Eren didn’t know what to do with himself or where to even begin with. The feeling of loneliness; the desperation of finding out his secondary gender and the anxiety of what was going to happen to him when he got home were so overwhelming that he couldn’t process a single thing that had happened to him during the past few hours. All he knew and was aware of that he was a broken mess. A sobbing broken mess. 

The only thing that helped him to feel even a tiny bit grounded was the black, soft suit jacket that he clutched closely to his chest; constantly making sure that no tears were staining the expensive-looking fabric. He somehow had a feeling that the raven wouldn’t be too happy with retrieving a jacket covered in snot and tears. Still, he couldn’t help gripping it tightly; clenching the fabric firmly between his fingers in a desperate attempt to catch the fleeting scent that lingered in the fibers. It was the only way he could feel somewhat closer to the sweet scent that promised protection and safety – when he himself felt so lost and forsaken. 

The moment Hanji had left the room; the moment he had let go of his emotions, everything that he had been holding in for years had come bubbling up to the surface; threatening to drown him in his misery. Images of the car accident, flashbacks of Grisha’s reaction upon finding out the love of his life was dead, of finding out what had happened moments before the accident occurred; memories of Grisha letting his anger out on him, flashbacks of trying to deal with his own grief and the guilt that plagued him constantly, thinking of giving in, letting Grisha have the satisfaction of him ending his own life… 

No matter how hard Eren tried to focus on shoving all the suffocating memories away, locking them in a corner of his mind he promised himself he would never again access; his mind had a mind of its own. Every time he tried to concentrate on dealing with one point, his consciousness wandered, conjuring images of what would await him at home. 

Hot tears spilled over his cheeks again, his body shaking with another wave of despair. A masochistic part of his brain must deem it fun to have him do that over and over again; seeing Grisha’s reaction to him being an omega; beating the living shit out of him and then… _and then_.. 

Eren choked out another sob and curled his body tighter in on himself, white knuckles grasping his knees and pulling them closer in fear and panic. What was he going to do? Was there a way out of this or did he just have to accept his fate and let whatever Grisha was going to do happen to him? 

He hiccupped at the thought of how powerless he was once again, as a new wave of Sandalwood and Pines washed over him; enveloping his mind and body for a brief second and as if conditioned to it, his nerves calmed down immediately. _Safety. Warmth. Protection._

_Safe._

_Safe._

Lulled in by the musky scent, his senses slowly came back to him. The shaking of his body ceased to a light trembling, as his eyes slowly dried from the relentless stream of tears that had poured out of them mere seconds ago. 

No, he didn’t want to go down without a fight. He didn’t want Grisha to win again, to own him and do whatever he wanted with him. To give him the satisfaction of having ruined Eren’s life as in his mind Eren had done to him. He didn’t want that.  
So he would fight; in every way possible. He would try to get out of the man’s clutches, trying to free himself from the grasp that had held him prisoner for far too long. He would get out of there, no matter what it took. 

He clutched the jacket tighter to his chest as he tried to formulate some semblance of a plan. He could just try and sneak into the house through the backdoor, grab his stuff and go to a motel and pray to god that his application to the dormitory would be accepted. Then he would finally be free; free from the man who had ruined his last 5 years; free from the man who claimed to be his father in public but was all the less so once they got home; free from having to worry about hiding his bruises or people finding out and labeling him weak; he would just be free. For once in his life. 

_But what if Grisha caught him, trying to sneak back into the house?_

His body instantly trembled at the thought, his inner omega urging him to just hide himself somewhere, to curl up in the blankets and wait for his alpha to come back and collect him. He would keep him safe. Make sure he was well off and protected for the time being. Those strong arms would fend off anyone that dared getting closer to him, would make sure Eren was free from any dangers and safe under his watchful eyes. Oh, what he would do to be back in those toned arms, to feel what he had felt this morning, to mold right into them as if he was made for being held by the raven; by his alpha – by Levi. 

Oh, fucking hell, not again!

Eren blinked, coming back from the haze his inner omega had thrown him into and cursing the overemotional bundle of second gender inside of him. He had just fantasized of being held in the arms of a fucking alpha. No matter how nice the alpha had been to him, he was still an alpha and Eren hated them – with every fiber of his body. And worst of all, he had felt completely comfortable with thinking that he wanted someone else to come and save him, like some stupid damsel in distress. He was _no_ damsel in distress. He didn’t need someone coming to swoop in and save his sorry ass, he could fend for himself now… or could he?

Suddenly he was back in that alley, surrounded by the alphas mocking him; ripping his clothes off and telling him he was only good for a quick fuck and getting knocked up; telling him he was worthless. A worthless omega slut. 

He clearly hadn’t been able to protect himself this morning, he thought bitterly; but then again he had been in heat! No omega could properly fight back their instincts to breed and mate when they were in heat, so no one could blame him for not being able to do so… right? 

His thoughts and insecurities were abruptly interrupted by a timid knock on the door. He frowned. The door was locked, so whoever it was, was not getting in here anytime soon. Only Hanji had the key and she would be the last person to knock on a door. 

His whole body tensed as he heard a key being inserted into the lock. He quickly wiped away his leftover tears, untangling himself from the sheets and straightening up into a sitting position, preparing himself for whomever would walk through the door. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t let go of Levi’s jacket – it was the only sense of security he had with him, everything else had been stripped away; laid bare. So for once he let go of his pride, clutched his last blanket of protection tightly to himself and readied himself for whomever was about to enter the room. 

To his surprise a blond mob of hair hesitantly appeared in the door, all too familiar big blue eyes looking at him cautiously; waiting for any sort of reaction. 

“A-Armin…”

He had never been so happy to see his best friend in his whole life. His entire body relaxed as he took in the sight of his blonde best friend standing shyly in the doorway. No alpha, not another threat. _Safe._ He was still safe. 

“Eren… are you alright?” Caution and worry were evident in Armin’s voice and Eren flinched when he realized that with the way Armin was looking at him, he must _know_. Know that he’s an omega.

It was no surprise that Armin had put two and two together, it must have been oh so clear to the blonde genius. But Eren just cowered, not knowing how to respond to his best friend knowing already; not knowing how Armin would react to it. Would he still accept him for who he is? Omega or not? He was still Eren though, wasn’t he? 

His best friend seemed to scent the air unconsciously, his eyes widening as he took in Eren’s scent. Eren winced, not understanding why the blonde was reacting like that to his smell. What was going on? Was he going to leave? Was their friendship over? He was close to tears again - fearing the rejection of his best friend, fearing to be left alone again; fearing the loneliness that would ensue and where his mind would take him if left to its own devices - when Armin suddenly took a few quick steps into the room and was at his side in an instant. 

Without realizing what was happening, Eren found himself in the embrace of his best friend. Warm arms holding him close, affectionate hands rubbing soothing circles into his back and stroking his hair gently. “Shh… Eren… shhh.. it’s alright… it’s going to be ok… everything will be fine, you hear me?”

“A…Armin…”

Eren all but choked out his best friend’s name, not being able to hold back the tears from spilling again over his still moist cheeks. He hugged Armin back tightly, holding him close; not wanting to let go despite the awkward angle of their hug. He couldn’t care less. Armin was here at his side, helping him, soothing him, telling him that it was ok that he wouldn’t go anywhere. His best friend hadn’t abandoned him; he wasn’t completely alone after all. 

It took about 5 miutes for Eren to finally calm down enough to let go of the blonde so that he could sit on his bed a bit more comfortably. Armin’s hand was still lingering on his leg, rubbing calming patterns into it as he started speaking, choosing his words carefully  
“Eren, I heard about it from professor Ackerman… are you ok? Did he do anything to you? I could smell your scent on him, but at the time I didn’t know that it was yours; I just knew that it was the scent of an omega in heat… are you alright?”

Eren knew that Armin was trying not to drown him in questions and just wanted to make sure he was alright, but at the same time a hint of anger flashed through his teal eyes when Armin suggested that Levi had done something to him. All the raven had done was help and protect him, so how could Armin just assume that he had done something awful?! 

He was about to reprimand the blonde, when he realized all of a sudden what it must look like from Armin’s point of view: His best friend had suddenly presented as an omega and his professor had waltzed into the lecture hall with the scent of an omega in heat on him, scent-marked even – Eren had made sure of that. To top it all off Armin had to find his best friend oozing the exact same scent crying in the infirmary, sobbing his life out; so jumping to conclusions wasn’t too far off. 

“A-Armin, I’m o- ok… as ok as I can be with just having presented as an…as an… _omega_ …” He took another deep breath trying to steady his trembling voice “Levi didn’t do anything; in fact he saved me from those alphas that were trying to r-rape me in a dark alleyway… “ 

Eren flinched, when Armin’s hand on his leg suddenly tightened, fury evident in his expression when he stared straight into Eren’s teal orbs. But before the blond could voice his anger, Eren continued in a hushed voice “He brought me here, you know… despite me being in heat an all… he kicked the other alpha’s faces in and brought me here to Hanj- .. ah, uhm Professor Zoe I mean.” He paused briefly, looking down at the jacket that he was still clutching fervently, taking in another wave of the soothing scent before feeling calm enough to continue “She gave me suppressants… but she told me that it might take some time for my body to fully adjust to them… and that… since I presented so late, I will have more heats.. I still don’t know what this all means Armin… it’s just s-so much to t-take in…”

He didn’t mean to stumble in the end, his voice getting thinner and lower with every word tumbling over his puffed lips. The last part was nothing more than a whisper. 

He didn’t know what to do with himself or with the fact that he was an omega. He sincerely hoped that Armin would be able to shed some light into the whole aspect of accepting his secondary gender and on how to control the overemotional mess of an omega he had inside of him. But would it be the same for him as it had been for Armin? Armin had been 13 when he presented, surrounded by his family and friends that helped him through it; far from any traumatizing event taking place; so was it truly the same?

Armin’s voice interrupted him from his pondering, speaking for once rather loudly, a hint of distaste ringing with every word spoken “So he _scent-marked_ you to make sure no one else would lay a finger on you then?” – “N-no, that’s not what happ-“ before he could even finish his sentence and explain that it was _him_ that had scent-marked the other, the door was forcefully kicked open; revealing a seething Mikasa standing in the doorway. 

**“HE SCENT-MARKED YOU?!”** she was roaring, wrath palpable in her thundering voice as she stormed into the room; only to abruptly stop after having taken the first two steps. Her pupils dilated as she took in the first wave of Eren’s delectable scent; the stormy fierceness replaced with something Eren knew all too well after this morning’s encounter. 

Mikasa was slowly stepping forward, her stance changing completely from one of rage to one of a dangerous predator hunting their favorite prey. The way she was looking at him sent chills down Eren’s spine and had him shift as far away from her as he could on the tiny bed; discomfort clear in every movement of his body. He didn’t want her here; he didn’t want her anywhere near him. He didn’t want to explain this whole mess to her; but seeing her scenting the air, nostrils flaring as she breathed in his smell needily, like it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted, had him shudder in disgust and revulsion. 

As if on cue a new scent suddenly permeated the air in the infirmary; a sickly sweet aroma of lavender and roses enveloped both him and Armin; trying to make them submit to the hidden strength that lingered beneath the sweetness. But all it did to Eren was triggering the urge to gag. The scent was repulsive; how could anyone ever be lulled in by it? It was sweet, so overly sweet that he all but wanted to get away from it. 

Armin seemed to feel the same way, trying his best not to be affected by the strong scent of an alpha literally forcing them into submission. But there was something else; the way Armin acted wasn’t just because the scent was disgusting to both of them. 

Eren scowled when the realization hit him what Mikasa was actually trying to do with her scent, suddenly noticing the component that his subconscious mind must have desperately been trying to ignore but had been evident from the very start: seduction. She wasn’t just trying to subdue them or make them submit to her; no she was courting one of them, and knowing that Mikasa had smelled Armin’s scent a million times before, she could only be after _him_. 

Now he was literally gagging, trying his best to keep down whatever left-over breakfast was still lingering in his stomach. “G-Get away from me, Mikasa… I d-don’t want y-you here” he wanted to sound fierce, commanding like his alpha had been in the alley; but his voice was far from icy, trembling instead with every word he choked out. 

Armin must have noticed his discomfort and the intent of Mikasa as well, since he slowly rose from the bed, standing firmly between Mikasa and Eren “Mikasa, please leave. Eren doesn’t want you here and he’s still dealing with all of this. So please give him some time and space.” 

To Eren’s surprise Armin’s voice was for once not timid; it was firm and filled with urgency. However, knowing his best friend Eren could still make out the hint of unease lingering at the edge of each word spoken. Armin didn’t want to be in this situation and being the omega he was, defying an alpha courting another omega must take all of his willpower. His fists were trembling at his sides; his head was slightly tilted, quite obviously fighting the urge to submit to the stronger dynamic standing in front of him. 

But his best friend prevailed; he was protecting him with all he could do and seeing that, Eren felt like crying all over again. Armin was standing up for him, protecting him and even facing an alpha lost to her instincts for him. He knew exactly how dangerous that was, and there was no bigger gesture to Eren than this. 

Mikasa however, didn’t even bat an eyelash at her best friend standing in front of her; all she could see was the delectable prey lying in front of her, just ready for the taking. She completely ignored what the both of them had been saying to her, opting instead to try and move past Armin, not even giving him a second glance, when all of a sudden the blond stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her passage to Eren. 

A shiver ran down Eren’s spine; his body quivering with renewed anxiety of the alpha trying to get closer to him. While she was still his childhood friend, in this very moment Mikasa was nothing more than an alpha trying to get what she desperately wanted. She had lost herself to her instincts the second his scent had washed over her; the aroma of his heat still lingering faintly in the air. It must have been enough to trigger her inner alpha; her pupils dilating further with every step that brought her closer to the origin of the sweet smell. 

Eren shivered when he realized that there would be no arguing with Mikasa, every ounce of rationality had left her when she let her alpha take control of her actions. No matter what he or Armin would say to her, she wouldn’t listen; and that made him truly fear her for the first time of his life. 

Mikasa let out a low threatening growl when Armin stepped in front of her, blocking her from the luscious aroma that Eren was giving off. Her attention switched to the one challenging her courting; dark eyes filled with fury as they met determined bright blue ones. She was trying to stare Armin down into submission, her stance looming over the shorter petite omega; her scent taking on a threatening note, promising violence and pain. 

Armin flinched, but didn’t move an inch; holding his ground as his body shook with convulsions. 

Another growl, this time fiercer slipped over Mikasa’s lips as she once again tried to move past Armin only to be blocked by the trembling mess of an omega. Eren couldn’t help but whimper at the sight of the alpha trying to get closer to him. But to Eren's dismay it was that exact sound that had slipped over his trembling lips, that made Mikasa finally lose her patience. She forcefully shoved Armin out of the way, not caring about the omega that she had no interest in; using so much strength that he impacted with the wall with a loud bang. To Eren’s horror, his head hit the wall first, a nauseating cracking sound echoing through the infirmary. His head had taken the full force of the impact; his frail body sinking limply to the ground. 

**_“Armin!!”_** Eren shrieked, fear rushing through him as he looked at the unconscious body of his best friend, realizing that he must be hurt and in dire need for medical attention. Everything else forgotten; he tried to rush to his side but was suddenly forced back down by strong hands on his shoulders. His eyes widened when he noticed that Mikasa was on him now; shoving him back into the pillows and bending over him menacingly. A shiver wrecked through his body at the close proximity of the repulsive scent and the skin-to-skin contact with an alpha that wasn’t his. 

His inner omega wanted to do nothing more than submit to the stronger dynamic in front of him, but Eren wouldn’t have it. “Get… the f.. fuck away f-from me M-Mikasa!” 

He tried to push her away with all the force he could muster, effectively shoving her a few feet away, but she was on him again in an instant. Her hands pinned his down easily, forcing them up above his head; a wicked smile spreading over her features as she took in the submissive stance she had forced Eren into. 

“Let me go! Mikasa, _release me_!” Eren was furious, scared as well but mostly furious. How dare she? What the hell was she doing? Why was she doing this to him? She must have heard what had happened to him this morning; eavesdropping and all. So why would she do this to him now, when she knew exactly how traumatic the whole thing had been already? 

“So… delicious. So good for me.” To Eren’s horror Mikasa started mumbling sickening compliments under her breath, inching closer and closer to his face. He was lying still, trying to figure out what she wanted and what she was going to do. Was she going to rape him like all the other alphas had attempted before? Was he never going to catch a break from the shitty dynamic? 

He was still trying to figure out her motives when she suddenly tilted his head with her other free hand, baring his neck forcefully with the action. 

_**No.** _

No, she couldn’t do that. _No, she wouldn’t._ This was Mikasa, one of his best friends, there was no way that she would force… force a bond on him. No, no no, she wouldn’t do that. 

But when he saw her opening her mouth, her canines elongated for the deed that she had in mind, he couldn’t help the convulsions that wrecked through his body. 

“No! _No!_ No, Mikasa **GET AWAY FROM ME!** ” he had found his voice again, screaming the last part as loudly as he could. Desperation taking a hold of him as he realized that there was no arguing with Mikasa; she would go through with force-bonding him. One-sidedly. Without his consent. 

He screeched loud and desperate ‘No’s with every inch that she got closer to his neck; trying to get anyone’s attention that walked past the infirmary. Hot tears were streaming down his face, obscuring his vision. His hands balled into fists, fighting fiercely against the hold of the much stronger alpha. His legs were kicking at her looming form above him, but she was too focused on his neck to take in his feeble attempts to get her off of him. 

Was this his fate after all? Escaping rape-attempts, surviving years of abuse only to be force-bonded to someone he would _never_ see that way and never wanted to be with? This was so much worse than getting raped. This was for a life-time. You couldn’t get rid of a bonding mark; an omega’s body would recognize the mark and only accept his or her mate after being bonded. Only they could help with a heat from then on, being the only ones affected by the omega’s heat pheromones. He never wanted a mate and he wouldn’t chose Mikasa not even if she was the last person on planet earth. Just imagining spending a heat together with her, had him wanting to vomit all over again. 

She was his friend. A good friend at that, despite being an alpha. But now she was betraying him; betraying him in the worst possible way she could. 

He didn’t want to be hers. He didn’t want to be anyone’s. If he had to choose, he knew who he would choose. His inner omega was still fighting against the wrong alpha trying to bond him, but Eren had given up. There was no point was there? Noone was coming to save him, and Mikasa was too lost to her instincts to stop. So he couldn’t do anything. 

“I’ll make you mine, my sweet omega. No one will dare to scent-mark you again... You’re mine… you hear me? _Mine_ ”

Eren flinched at her words. He instinctively tried to move as far away from the teeth that were scraping over his scent gland as he could. But to no avail. She had him pinned down. He couldn’t get away from her. He couldn’t do anything; only wait until it was all over. 

With the last coherent thought he could muster he whispered the name of the one person he would give anything to come and safe him, to replace the alpha looming over him, trying to bond him. 

_“Levi…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note, I will most likely only be able to update on a weekly basis from now on since i just don't have the time to write during the week with work and all.


	8. Favors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually don't post a chapter on the same day that i wrote it, so that i can proof-read it on the next day with a fresh mind. But i don't have time tomorrow since i'm cosplaying and it takes quite a bit of time getting ready in the morning. That's why on the one hand you get the chapter earlier but on the other hand there might me more mistakes. I do apologize if that's the case
> 
> Anyway i hope you guys enjoy it~

Levi didn’t really know what pushed him to rush down the overfilled corridors of the university which were now bustling with students chippering in delight that a tiring day of lectures was finally over. He ignored the curious stares he was getting, too focused on the battle that was still raging within his mind as to why _exactly_ he was walking back to the infirmary. He didn’t want to admit that a growing, unruly part of himself clearly wanted to see the brat again, but every time his inner alpha surfaced throwing the words of ‘mate’ and ‘his omega’ at him, he couldn’t help but shudder, his stomach twisting and his brows furrowing in discomfort. 

He was too uncomfortable with the thought of shitty glasses abso- _fucking_ -lutely retarded theory. So instead, he opted for justifying it by claiming he just wanted to check on the brunette and retrieve his jacket. Yes, that was it. He just wanted to get his stupid jacket. Why had he fucking left it there in the first place?

The scowl on his face deepened at the rising irritation against himself and his foolish actions as he continued to walk towards his destination hurriedly. The closer he got, a high sense of urgency started springing forth within him; and he hastily quickened his pace; pushing through the mass of shitty students lingering in the halls without a care or second thought. 

The infirmary was on the 5th floor and the further up he got, the less students he encountered. Thank fucking god. How he hated crowds. 

Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was… _wrong_. He was getting goose bumps all over, the closer he got, the tiny hairs on his forearms standing up as a shiver ran down his spine. What the hell was going o-

Then he heard it. 

The screams. 

Of a voice he became all too familiar with during the course of this morning. 

_Eren!!!_

Now he was running. Not caring how desperate he must look like; only caring about getting to his omega, helping him from whoever seemed to threaten him. The loud ‘stop it’s and ‘let me go’s were echoing through the empty hallways of the 5th floor, bringing forth a deep-rooted primal fear and anxiety that Levi had never felt before. He needed to get to his omega. _NOW!_

He sprinted down the hallway, the door of the infirmary finally visible to his gunmetal orbs and within seconds he was standing in the doorframe. It only took an instant for his senses to register what was going on in the room, and what he took in had him see red. 

Another alpha was looming over his omega, teeth bared and only an inch away from his neck where his scent glands were located. Anger was boiling in Levi’s blood, fury heightening his senses to an over sharp quality as he felt his blood rush and heard the steady thump of his own heartbeat in his ears. He was seething. He wanted to do nothing more than kill the fucking alpha that dared to even touch his omega. He was _his. His omega. His mate. His Eren._

A loud, guttural growl ripped forth from his throat and he was on her in an instant. 

A small part of his brain that was not clouded by the frenzied rage his inner alpha had sent him in recognized the black-haired alpha as Mikasa and told him not to harm her too badly; her being Eren’s supposed friend and all. His alpha sneered at the thought though, wanting nothing more than rip the alpha's fucking throat out. 

Mikasa didn’t even have the time to register what was going on before Levi’s hand found its way to her neck, pulling her away from Eren harshly. His nails dug into her scent gland, earning a pitiful wail as pain shot through his opponent. Levi didn’t give her the time to grasp who had pulled her away from her ‘price’; his other hand grabbing her wrist that was reaching for him, trying to claw his eyes out, twisting it around forcefully and pinning it to her back. With a thundering growl that vibrated through the entire room, he kicked Mikasa’s knees in, so that she was effectively kneeling in front of him; his hand never leaving the chokehold he had on her. 

It took all it had for him not to beat her bloody and unconscious, his scent flaring with promises of violence. His alpha would spare her no mercy. She had tried to claim someone who was scent-marked; against his will. Had tried to force a bond on the newly presented omega. 

Another wave of hatred and loathing rushed through Levi at the thought of the abominable deed she had tried to do. His nails dug deeper into her neck, drawing blood from the sensitive scent-glands he was pressing into. He knew all too well how painful that was, but he didn’t give a fuck. 

“Let go of me you fucker!” Mikasa was thrashing underneath him, trying her best to get rid of him, cursing him loudly. But Levi wasn’t impressed, he knew that he could do whatever he wanted with her, she stood no chance against him; especially not with his hold on her. 

But she wasn’t surrendering nor baring her neck in submission; instead she started hissing profanities “You _**fucker!**_ Fuck you! I was so close! You ruined _everything_ ” her voice was strangled, furious, filled with hatred and desperation, spitting curses after curses at him. 

His own voice though, was _ice_. Ice that cut through everything, making her blood freeze in the instant he raised it to speak to her; venom and disgust prevalent in every single word he spoke; his scent so powerful and potent it made her body shiver unconsciously at the presence of a clearly stronger alpha. “Shut the fuck up. You will not say another word; I do not want to hear your shitty voice again. You will not go anywhere near Eren. You will not touch him. You will never touch him again, you hear me?”

He punctuated his last sentence with a ferocious growl, digging his nails into her glands again, just to make his point clear. If she knew what was best for her, she would submit to him. He already had a hard enough time reigning in his seething alpha that was out for blood; that wanted to see her suffer, see her whine for mercy and submit to him fully, before ripping her throat out. 

But Levi wasn’t like her. He wasn’t one of the shitty fucking alphas that would completely lose control and surrendered themselves to their instincts. He knew better. 

He didn’t have to wait long, the realization of the situation finally hitting the black-haired girl as she bared her neck to him. Surrender. Fucking finally. His inner alpha preened at the sight of the shaking body in front of him, neck bared and ready to be ripped out for having laid a finger on his omega. 

Instead Levi hauled her to the door, his hold on her never relenting; not giving her the chance to lash out on him or do something foolish that she would later regret. 

“Don’t let me see your face near him ever again, you hear me? _Now get the fuck out!!_ ” his voice was commanding, authoritative in every way as he spit the words at her, kicking her out of the room and closing the door firmly behind him. 

The sobbing was the first thing his still raging mind registered; his silver orbs immediately locking onto the source of the sound. Eren was sitting on the bed, sheets and his jacket clutched and tangled around him, his body shivering and trembling with every breath he took, shaking from fear and anxiety. His hands were balled into the sheets, white knuckles protruding from the tanned skin. He held his legs tightly to his heaving chest, sobbing and wailing, tiny whimpers tumbling over his lips in between. His eyes were widened, teal pupils dilated in horror, tears streaming down his cheeks in small waterfalls. He had never seen anyone so frightened and Levi’s heart clenched at the sight of his distressed omega.

He felt torn. A huge part of him wanted to chase the fucking alpha who had done this to his omega and punish her accordingly. But the other part of him that was growing with every second he looked at the tiny bundle of helpless omega in front of him wanted to do nothing more than go to his side and console him. 

But Levi held himself back. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to frighten Eren further; he only wanted to help and comfort him, but the brat was scared, terrified of what had just happened. So another alpha approaching him only seconds after a near-traumatizing, forced-bonding moment didn’t seem like the best option. 

He scanned Eren’s body for any signs of hurt before his eyes wandered around the room and narrowed at the sight of Arlert’s unconscious and limp body at the other side of the wall. _Fucking hell._

With a few quick steps he was at Arlert’s side immediately, crouching down and inspecting the unconscious blond from a distance. One glance was enough that Levi knew that Arlert must have hit his head on the wall pretty badly, considering the crack in the wall behind Armin’s head. Calm and collected he checked Armin’s circulation and airway; making sure the young blond was breathing properly. He was. 

He pulled out his phone and called 911; head injuries should never be underestimated after all. For all he knew the impact could have caused bleeding in the brain tissue. His gunmetal eyes narrowed at the thought. As if it wasn’t enough that Mikasa had almost _force-bonded_ Eren, she also injured Arlert to this degree. If he ever got his hands on her again… 

Another loud whimper disturbed his thoughts and the quiet of the infirmary, but he couldn’t go to Eren’s side and comfort him at the moment. Arlert needed his full attention. 

He was about to sit down next to the blond, making sure there were no changes in his breathing pattern and that he wasn’t moved until the ambulance arrived when he heard a loud shriek in the doorway. 

His head whipped around in an instant, ready to fight whoever was standing in the door when his mind connected the shrieking voice to the brunette standing in front of him. Hanji had come back, two steaming teacups in her hands. A part of his mind registered that one was meant for Eren; to calm him down. Oh the irony. 

It didn’t take Hanji long to grasp the situation and she rushed to his and Arlert’s side instantly. “W-what happened? I just gave the key to Armin and told him I’d be there in a second… what the hell happened Levi?” her voice was shaky as she crouched down next to Armin to check on him the same way Levi had checked on him before. 

“Mikasa happened. She tried to force-bond Eren, I just made it in time to stop her.” – “She _WHAT?!_ ” 

Now she was shrieking in that high-pitched, shrill voice of hers again, the one he hated oh so much. Fucking hell, he didn’t have the patience for this. All he wanted was to go to Eren’s side and make sure he was alright, to stay close to the omega and hold him tightly and quite frankly never let him go again. He knew that he owed Hanji the explanation, but he was highly on edge, adrenalin still pumping strongly through his veins, the fury and anger his alpha felt towards the other still not fully subsided yet. Also the urge to go to Eren was getting stronger by the second, as if invisible strings were pulling them together. Each sob and whimper of the brunette shook through his whole body, making his fingers twitch at the effort it took for him not to walk to his omega straight away. 

“I called 911. They are on their way, don’t move him and track his breathing pattern for any irregularities.” He said in a low hushed voice, glancing at Eren after every second word he uttered. With Hanji here and taking care of Arlert he could try and calm the brunette down. Armin wasn’t the only one that needed help after all. Hanji simply nodded, understanding the gist and underlying urgency in Levi’s voice fully. 

Levi gave her a rare thankful look before he turned around and slowly took a tentative step forward. Teal eyes widened immediately as Levi stepped closer to him, a new shiver wrecking through the trembling mess Eren was already. He clutched his knees tighter to himself, wrapping himself further into the sheets but not yet inching away from the slowly approaching alpha. 

Levi made sure that every single one of his movements was clearly visible to the trembling mess before him; taking it slowly – one step after the other. All the while he reigned in every last ounce of anger that laced in his scent, replacing it with soothing gentleness and promises of safety and protection. No harm would come to Eren, not while he was here. He would make sure of that. 

When he finally - after what felt like an eternity - reached the huddled up brunette, he addressed the omega quietly “Eren…” Ocean-green irises were trained on him, widening ever so slightly at the mention of his own name. Levi was standing next to the bed, fighting the urge to gently cup the brunette’s face in his hand and wipe away the tears. Instead he looked down at the brat that had turned his life upside down and asked the question he feared the answer to the most “Eren… do you want me to leave?”

He wanted to give Eren the choice. He didn’t want to force himself on the younger, and while he clearly wanted nothing more than to stay at his side and shoo away all of his worries, he wasn’t sure that that was what the brunette wanted. Maybe Eren needed some distance from the shitty dynamic that had traumatized him enough for one day. Levi wouldn’t blame him if that was what Eren wanted; he would oblige. 

Eren’s eyes widened at the question, his face taking on a new array of expressions: fear and anxiety were still strongly prevalent, but there was a hint of anguish and desperation flashing through the teal orbs at the mention of him leaving the room. Perhaps Levi was imagining it, but did the brat not want him to leave? The expression made his heart clench and thump loudly as a tiny seed of hope sprouted in his chest. Maybe Eren didn’t see him as another shitty alpha that wanted to ruin his life? Maybe Eren saw him as an exception?

“S-Stay… p-please” the brittle voice interrupted his thoughts and made them reel in new-found joy. He was allowed to stay. Eren didn't want him gone. He didn’t want him to leave; no he wanted him to stay at his side. His alpha roared with pride, but Levi settled for slowly and almost timidly reaching out a hand towards his omega’s face. 

Eren was still sobbing, his chest heaving with every breath of air he took, his whole body shaking; but he didn’t flinch away from Levi’s approaching hand. Softly, with a feather-light touch Levi cupped Eren’s cheek in his hand, stroking away the still falling tears with a gentle smile on his face. 

Eren hiccupped; the sudden movement enough to make Levi withdraw his hand in fear of having overwhelmed the brunette with the rather intimate touch. But Eren wouldn’t have it, it seemed. He quickly grabbed Levi’s hand and placed it back on his cheek, leaning into the touch slightly; closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. 

Levi couldn’t help himself, the tiny action of trust and need Eren showed him in that very moment was enough to make him croon at the omega in front of him. He literally threw every rule and principle he had clung to in the past out of the window for the lovely brunette; no longer caring about his pride dictating him only to do that for a mate that he had sworn he would never take. 

Eren didn’t purr back like he had before, but his sobbing finally ceased to a low sniffling when the soft rumbling sound vibrated through him; his body visibly relaxing under the careful ministrations of Levi. The raven looked down into the vivid green irises that had bewitched him from the first moment he had laid his eyes on them, only to find trust and gratitude reflected in the shining orbs. 

Before he could think about what he was doing or regret his impulsive actions, he pulled the omega into a tight embrace. He held Eren close, hugged him and started stroking soothing circles into the brunette’s back – all the while softly crooning reassurances of safety and protection to his omega. 

Eren flinched at first to the close proximity, but soon began to relax into the tight embrace Levi was giving him. His body was still trembling and tears were still falling down his cheeks, forming little puddles of wetness on Levi’s white dress shirt. But once again, he didn’t care. All he cared about was Eren’s well-being. And if what Eren needed was to cling to him, clutch his shirt tightly and silently sob into his chest, then that was exactly what he would give him. 

 

A few minutes later he could hear footsteps running down the hallway. Both him and Eren tensed for a second, a low growl already making its way out of Levi’s throat – a threat to anyone trying to take his omega away from him again. When suddenly two beta paramedics appeared in the doorframe, he visibly relaxed, getting back to crooning softly at his omega; reassuring him of his safety. He faintly heard Hanji telling the paramedics to come over and take care of Arlert; his attention still too focused on calming Eren down from the sudden intrusion. 

His awareness shifted when the paramedics stated that Arlert was fine, most likely having only a concussion with no internal bleeding. However they wanted to take him to the hospital nonetheless, run a CT and observe him over night. When the paramedics attention fell to the both of them, asking if there were other people injured, Levi glanced over at Hanji, instinctively cradling Eren closer to his chest. 

Hanji however, completely ignored the stare he was giving her, stepping closer to the both of them until she was standing right in front of them. With a soothing tone Levi had never heard Hanji use before, she quietly asked “Eren… I know it’s a lot, but I need you to tell me if you are injured”. Despite being soothing, there was a commanding edge in her voice that made Levi hiss at her instinctively. 

“I-I’m f-fine… Hanji…. N-not injured… just… j-just… sho- shocked” another sob wrecked through Eren’s body and Levi desperately started crooning louder, wanting to tone out all other noises that could distract Eren; all the while sending hateful glares at Hanji and the paramedics. Couldn’t they tell that all the brat needed was some fucking peace and quiet? How the heck was he supposed to calm down with people interrogating him left and right? Fucking shit-specs should know at least that much! Fucking hell. 

His irritation must have seeped into his scent as the paramedics excused themselves quickly taking care of Arlert. Hanji however, was not so easily deterred. “What do you intend to do now Levi?” her questioning gaze was piercing this time, not letting him off the hook easily, prodding him to think things through for a second and look at the situation realistically. 

“I will bring him home and make sure he’s safe and has his suppressants”. His answer was calm and collected but neither of them could have foreseen the reaction Eren would have to his words. His body started shaking uncontrollably, lips trembling, knuckles clenching into Levi’s shirt, tears streaming down his face again as he clung to Levi desperately. 

“No! No, no, no! No! Please… P-Please… not h-home… please do-don’t … b-bring me b-back to _h-him_ … please… _please!_ ” 

Levi growled furiously, his scent flaring with anger and wrath. He had had his suspicions after seeing the tattered body of Eren littered with bruises this morning, but now he knew. He knew who was responsible for it and there was no way in hell he was bringing his omega back to an abusive father. 

He gritted his teeth, trying to reign in the anger he had let slip out, his voice rough and nowhere near as soothing as he wanted it to be “Eren… Eren, I’m sorry… I’m not bringing you back to… _him_ … I promise; you are safe. No one will harm you, you hear me? I won’t let them. I won’t let him. I won’t let anybody hurt you.” 

With a look of sheer desperation he faced Hanji, not knowing what to do now that Eren’s home was off the table. He couldn’t let the omega sleep at his place. As much as he wanted to, that was not a safe option. Not because he couldn’t hold himself back, but due to the fact that his whole apartment smelled of him, pure alpha – and that would do Eren no good just having taken the first dose of suppressants. 

Hanji seemed to get his predicament and after a few seconds offered a different solution to him “How about you take him to Armin’s room in the dormitory? It’s an omega/beta dormitory and alphas aren’t allowed entry and with Armin having to stay in the hospital it would provide a familiar environment and the needed safety and distance from alphas.” At the ensuing glare Levi sent her she calmly followed up with stating “I’m sure they will let you in _if_ you explain yourself properly. You are a professor of the university after all, AND he’s scent-marked you… it should be fine.” 

Levi looked at her questioningly, he wasn’t sure that they would let him in with him being an alpha and all. Still, he had to try; for Eren’s sake. And if he had to leave so be it – as long as he knew that Eren was safe and sound. 

“I’m going to the hospital with the paramedics to make sure Armin is alright…Take care of Eren, will you?” with that she was out of the door, following the paramedics hurriedly; leaving the two of them alone in the room. 

Eren seemed to have calmed down a bit at Hanjis suggestion. Knowing that he didn’t have to go back home had lessened the convulsions that shook through his body, though he was still trembling lightly in Levi’s arms. The brunette hadn’t stopped clinging to his chest tightly, clutching his shirt and sending him the clear signal that he didn’t want him to leave. 

“Shh… Eren.. shh… it’s ok. You don’t have to go home… I’ll bring you to Armin’s room ok?” 

As gently as he could, Levi lifted Eren up into his arms. The omega immediately curled into him, melting into his arms and nosing into his collarbone, sniffling almost contently at being enveloped by his scent. 

The walk to the dormitory only took a few minutes. It was located at the edge of the campus, nestled into a quiet corner. As he entered the door with Eren in his arms, he was greeted by a middle-aged women with glasses sitting behind the office in the entrance way. On the one hand he was glad that they took surveillance here seriously, on the other he dreaded not being let in to make sure Eren was safely tucked into Arlert’s bed. 

A nasally voice addressed him as brown eyes scrutinized him, sizing him up suspiciously. “Excuse me… _sir_ , but you can’t enter this dormitory. It is strictly prohibited for alphas to enter. Also I do not recognize the omega in your arms as one of our inhabitants.”

He suppressed the eye-roll that itched away at him, sighed deeply and answered with as much composure as he could muster “I’m Levi Ackerman, a professor at the university. I’m here on behalf of director Erwin Smith and one of your inhabitants Armin Arlert. Arlert is currently being hospitalized until further notice. But both he and Mr. Smith gave specific permission for his best friend and newly presented omega to occupy his room in his absence.” 

His expression was unfazed, impassionate as usual at the half-lie that easily slipped over his lips as he handed her his ID to verify who he was. Her eyes narrowed at the ID and his explanation, seemingly not content with what he had provided her. “And why can’t the ‘newly presented omega’ not just go home to his family? I’m pretty sure he would be taken better care of _there_ ” Her gaze was more than questioning, downright demanding as she started a staring contest with him. 

Fucking hell. He didn’t’ like the tone she was using one bit, neither did he like how easily she dismissed his story or the option that an omega had _actually_ presented so late. 

“Listen glasses, he actually _did_ present so fucking late, yes. And after being almost raped by shitty alphas in an alleyway and force-bonded by a presumed friend he needs some peace and fucking quiet. And the last place he would be taken better care of is home. So either you let me in now, peacefully or I will call the director and be let in regardless of your bickering. And trust me you won't like the second option. “ 

Levi didn’t like threatening her but his patience was wearing thin.

She scowled; clearly not liking the options she was presented with. “Fine, but I don’t want you in any other room than Arlert’s. Don’t even think about going near any other omega or I will call the cops on you straight away.” 

“Deal. Which room number is it?” He shuffled Eren a bit, distributing his weight on his left arm, so he could take the key she was handing him with his right. “203” her answer was court, quite obvious that she no longer wanted to deal with him. 

Levi didn’t need to be told twice. He marched up the stairways and headed straight to room 203. 

Once inside Levi wanted to settle Eren down on the bed, but the brat wouldn’t have it. He was desperately clinging to him, shaking more vigorously whenever he tried to pry his hands away from his shirt. In the end he gave up. He curled Eren up in his arms and settled in the chair across from the bed. 

Consoling someone was something completely out of his comfort zone, but somehow his instincts and inner alpha knew exactly what to do. Even before in the infirmary, he hadn’t consciously thought about what he was doing to try and soothe Eren – he had just done it. 

The same was happening now. A low rumbling purr springing forth from his chest, vibrating through both of their bodies, trying to get rid of the tension left in both of them. His scent enveloped the omega while he whispered sweet soothing words into the ear of the brunette. His hand was stroking the soft brown locks that were falling into the teary puffed eyes of his brat, while his other was rubbing gentle circles into his back. 

Eren didn’t speak much, just silently sobbing away at his chest, his breath hitching ever so often. It took some time but after a while Levi saw Eren’s tired lids fall shut and his body relax in his hold. He waited for another 30 minutes, making sure that Eren was deeply asleep before gently placing his omega under the covers of Arlert’s bed. He tucked the sheets in at his sides and let out a low huff at the sight of Eren finally being able to sleep somewhat peacefully. 

His normal self would have bolted out of the room in an instant, rushing back home to get that freaking shower he deserved so much. But something had changed. Instead of rushing out of the room, he strolled back to the chair he had been sitting in for an hour and sat down. 

His gunmetal eyes never left the figure that was sleeping soundly in the bed. Alert for anything that would disturb the sleep his omega so desperately needed. 

Levi closed his eyes as he repeated the last sentence he had thought in his mind, stopping at the last few words. _His omega._ He had been referring to Eren as his throughout the entire day, the feeling only getting stronger after what happened in the infirmary. He felt drawn to the brat. Invisible strings were pulling them together and every time he even thought about leaving, they tugged harsher at his heart; urging him to instead get closer to the omega. 

He sighed loudly. Fuck. Maybe Hanji hadn’t been so off after all. But this couldn’t be happening to him right? He never wanted a mate. Not after having seen and experienced the things he _did in fact experience_. But now he was confronted with the possibility of having one literally thrown at him. What was he supposed to do with that?

All he knew was that no matter what, he wanted Eren to be happy. To be safe, protected and loved. That’s all he wanted for the brat. And that had priority over anything else. 

Under the current circumstances however, he knew that Eren was far from being safe or happy. No way in hell would he let his omega go back to the shit-hole he referred to as _‘home’_. Not if it meant him getting more bruises than he already had. His fingernails dug into the wooden armchair as anger flashed through him again. But how was he supposed to help? He couldn’t offer Eren to stay with him; an alpha he had just met a few hours ago. And even if by some miracle Eren would say yes to that proposition it wouldn’t be fair to him. It would feel forced, like a last resort and Levi didn’t want that. So what could he do?

 

It took him a while to realize what he had to do, and it took him even longer to take out his phone and dial the number he needed to call. He hated owing Erwin favors. 

After a few beeping sounds, Erwin finally picked up. “Levi? To what do I owe the pleasure of _you_ actually calling _me_?”

“Oh shut it, Erwin. I’m not in the mood.”

A low chuckle sounded through the phone as Erwin continued “Well then Levi, why did you call me?”

“I need a favor” – “Oh, that’s rare. Mind elaborating?”

“Tch. I need you to pull some strings as a director of Trost University, think you can do that?”  
His voice didn’t give anything away – yet. He knew that Erwin would be relentless in pressing everything out of him, but he didn’t want to mention Eren or the situation he found himself in as long as he could avoid it. 

“I certainly can. Does it have anything to do with the incident that happened in the infirmary a few hours ago or the fact that you forced your way into an omega/beta dormitory using me as an excuse?”

Shit. He should’ve known better. Of course Erwin knew already, it was _Erwin fucking Smith_ after all. 

“… yes. How much do you know?”

“Oh just this and that. Had a nice chat with Hanji and Mrs. Huber, it was very… enlightening.”

Levi groaned. Fucking shit. If he had a chat with Hanji, that could only mean the worst. That he knew of the ridiculous theory of hers. ‘Well… maybe not so ridiculous’ he thought as he glanced over to the brunette still sleeping soundly on the bed. 

“I need you to pull some strings to make sure Eren Jaeger gets accepted into this dormitory. The omega/beta one. Preferably the room next to Armin Arlert.”

“Why?” Erwin's voice sounded positively surprised with a hint of curiosity. 

“None of your business, shitty eyebrows, can you do it? Yes or no?” It wasn’t like he was losing his patience with Erwin; he just wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible before Erwin got more out of him then he wanted him knowing. 

“My, my. That’s no way of asking your best friend for a favor now, is it Levi? Tell me… why are you asking for this? I’m aware of Jaeger already having applied for said dormitory. However with his father being a renowned doctor and earning more than enough to provide for him, we have to give the place to someone else. Someone who actually needs it. You do understand right Levi?” 

Although the sentence may have come across as condescending, Erwin’s voice was far from it. His reasoning was sound; everyone else would have thought the same, agreed with him and his decision. But the amount of assumptions about Eren’s background and the fact that his father was a _renowned doctor_ beating the shit out of his son daily, laced Levi’s voice with an unwanted amount of venom as he spit out his retort “You wouldn’t consider an abusive alpha father as someone able to provide for a newly presented omega now, would you?” 

He could hear Erwin suck in his breath harshly, growling lowly into the phone. Abuse was something his blond childhoodfriend did not tolerate. He fought vehemently against it as he did for omega rights, despite being an alpha himself. The two of them were always considered to be sorry excuses for alphas – fighting for omegas and not agreeing with the standard view of alphas being superior to the other dynamics. 

Levi could make out a hint of sorrow and regret when his friend spoke up again “I didn’t know... If I had I would’ve offered it to him straight away. He will have the key by tomorrow morning.” 

“Thanks.” 

There was a moment of silent understanding between the two of them before Erwin cleared his throat “Oh but Levi? I’m still considering this a favor, so you have to come drinking with me this Friday. And no buts or excuses, I want to hear your side of the story of being _true mates with a young enticing omega_ ”

Levi’s eyes widened at the exclamation of his best friend. Fucking Hanji. He would kill her when he got his hands on her. And Erwin be damned, he knew exactly how to get a rise out of him. All these years had him become and expert at pushing his buttons and that’s exactly what he was doing now. Why the fuck was he still friends with this guy? 

“Go to hell, caterbrows”

Another chuckle echoed through the phone at his retort, Erwin’s teasing clearly having the desired effect on him. “See you Friday then, Levi”

“Tch. Fine. See you on fucking Friday. This better be worth my time.” Without letting the blond respond he hung up, feeling a bit better now that he had sorted some things out. 

He quickly made another phone call, after having glanced into Eren’s wallet to find out his current address. The arrangements were quickly made; the moving company would bring over Eren’s stuff tomorrow – without mentioning a word to his father. The asshole didn’t need to know where to his son would be living from now on. 

Eren had already applied to the dormitory. That meant that he wanted to get out of his home and would probably not be mad at him for suddenly making arrangements on his behalf, right? If he wanted anything, then it was to not come across as an overbearing, stereotypical alpha – always making all the decisions for the omega and not letting them get a word in. How he hated the fuckers who thought that an omega could not voice their own thoughts and opinions. That was the last thing he was, so he hoped that Eren would forgive him for doing this. 

His thoughts were still lingering on the subject of Eren hopefully not minding too much when his eyelids slowly started getting heavier and heavier. His thoughts were now tumbling over themselves and before accepting defeat and falling asleep he cast one last glance over to the sleeping brunette. His omega was sleeping peacefully, not perturbed by anything; and with a small smile of knowing that he had kept his promise and had kept his omega safe, he succumbed to his own slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the ending isn't too aprubt since the chapter got longer and longer and at one point i just decided i'd end it here. You will hear more of Levi's thoughts in the next one from his POV


	9. Panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm so sorry that it took me such a long time to update, but the past two weeks were a complete roller-coaster ride for me. I started in a completely new team at work and everything is new all over again. Also since I'll be having a Viktuuri shooting next week i have some serious cos-work to do. Well to make up for the loooong wait, this is the longest chapter yet xD
> 
> I completed it just now and I'm sorry if there are too many mistakes but i didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. I hope you like it and let me know what you think :3

Eren’s mind was still clouded heavily by sleep, not really paying attention to where he was or what was happening around him. He was still groggy, exhausted; his body feeling numb and weak, his muscles aching and sore. He didn’t want to move. He didn’t want to do anything but hug the pillow underneath him more firmly and drift off again. Back to sleep. Back to the calming meadow that soothed his sorrows and worries away. That felt so much like the home he never had. 

But the more he tried to will his mind back to sleep again, the more he became aware of what seemed to be two hushed voices whispering close-by. “…got back…. hospital…” He couldn’t really make out much of what the quiet voice was saying, his mind still trying to fight off the drowsiness that threatened to overcome him once again. 

A different voice spoke up now; a deeper, rich tenor that sent shivers down his spine. The voice sounded slightly annoyed but Eren couldn’t really explain how he knew that. He just knew. “… shitty….Arlert doing?” 

Wait…. W-what? What was going on with Armin? Did something happen to him? And didn’t the first voice say something about a hospital? What was going on?

Hearing his best friends name stirred something within him, a fuzzy image surfacing from the depths of his consciousness. A blurred figure stepping closer and closer; looming over his weakened body, menacingly staring down at him… Eren furrowed his brows trying to will the blurry image into focus. His mind was trying to remember something, but his instincts were clearly working against that, pushing the image back into the dark abyss where it had come from. 

Still, at the mention of Armin, Eren started to desperately urge his clouded consciousness to focus. It took a lot to not give in to the sweet absolution of sleep; to fall back into the pillows and revel in the calming meadow that accompanied his dreams; to instead encourage his groggy mind to finally start working properly. He had to ask the voices something. He had the feeling that it was very important; extremely important even, but he couldn’t remember why. 

He was too preoccupied with willing his eyes to open to understand what the first voice said in answer to the deeper one’s question. He could however make out the second sentence quite clearly “Why aren’t you close to your mate, Levi?”

Eren gasped. 

His mind suddenly no longer needed any help in fighting off the sleepiness; the name of the raven was ringing loudly inside his head, echoing and reverberating inside of him; effectively waking up the needy omega from its slumber and driving it back out to the surface. 

Levi. 

His alpha.

His… _mate?_

He opened his eyes in confusion, taking in the view in front of him: The attractive raven-haired male he had become all too familiar with in the short span of a day was seated in the wooden chair across from him, muscled arms crossed in front of his toned chest; mercury eyes focused on the other person standing before him. From the corner of his eyes he recognized the second person as Hanji; but his teal irises where trained on the raven sitting leisurely in the chair; not paying the brunette any attention. 

As if on cue Levi’s head turned towards him, silver orbs staring straight into his ocean-green ones; looking at him with relief and worry. But there was something else shimmering in those stormy gunmetal eyes of the raven… was it fondness Eren was seeing? The way Levi looked at him made him feel all warm and tingly inside. His skin prickling with a new sensation that he had never experienced before. 

And then there was the scent again. 

The musky smell of sandalwood and pine that reminded him so much of the meadow he had come to associate with safety and protection. The scent that made Eren feel all weak in the knees, his stomach filling with butterflies when the heavenly aroma washed over him and had him gasping for more.

His eyes were still locked with the alphas, when the last bit of drowsiness was washed away by the heavenly scent of his raven; his mind slowly starting to piece his memories back together; making him remember the things he so desperately wanted to forget, that he hoped he had imagined or dreamed. 

But the pictures where flooding his mind now. 

The dark alley-way. The alphas surrounding him. Stripping him. Throwing insults at him. Rubbing their hands over his thighs. Touching him excessively. How he had felt so weak and lost…

The scene shifted and now he felt something sharp on his neck. 

Mikasa’s teeth on his neck. Her shoving Armin out of the way to get to him. Her stalking over to him. A predator eyeing her prey. Her looming over him; whispering disgusting things into his ears. Her trying to make him hers. Her contorted face in ecstasy at the thought of bonding him… 

Tears flooded his eyes instantaneously. His heart was pounding in his chest, racing; his body trembling, hands shaking with fear and anxiety at the images torturing his mind. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, desperately gasping for air like a fish out of the water, tears trickling down his cheeks, eyes widening in horror. 

He felt the exact same dread that he had felt yesterday, only intensified as the images kept coming and coming. There was a tingling numbness taking hold of his fingers, sweat slowly trickling down his forehead, but Eren couldn’t care less. _He couldn’t breathe._

Strong hands were on him immediately, holding him tightly against a firm chest. Eren was limp in the strong hold, not moving an inch. A hand cupped his neck, forcing his nose into the warm skin of the other person. A soft voice filled with worry and urgency whispering into his ear, repeating the same words over and over again “Breathe, Eren. _Breathe._ Focus on me. Breathe with me… In and out, you hear me?” 

He tried to. He really tried to focus on the soothing voice but the images just kept coming. He literally felt Mikasa’s teeth on his neck, her breath ghosting over his scent gland, only seconds away from sealing his fate for the rest of his life. 

His body shook as a new wave of terror washed over him. He hiccupped, gasping for air desperately, slowly starting to choke, his lungs burning with the desperate need for air. 

Without warning his head was yanked forward, trembling fingers were placed on both sides of his face as his eyes locked once again with the silver orbs of his alpha. His own panic was reflected in the gunmetal eyes facing him, worry evident as the now shaking voice pleaded for Eren to breathe. 

“E-Eren. Focus on me. Breathe with me. In and Out… Slowly…. I-in…. and out. In… and out”

Eren’s hands were put on Levi’s chest; feeling the steady heartbeat and rise and fall of his muscled and lightly trembling chest. Levi’s scent was almost drowning him, clearly trying to divert his attention away from whatever was tormenting him. 

The tiny fragment of a moment it took for Eren to register the sheer amount of smell his alpha was emitting to try and calm him down was enough for Eren to finally focus on Levi’s eyes. He was staring into the silver orbs that he now remembered had been everywhere in his dreams; ever prevalent around him; looking out for him and protecting him from the shadows that kept haunting him. Just like in his dreams, the gunmetal irises staring worriedly into his own were filled with so much emotion, a hint of icy blue mixing with the swirling silver and rendering them vivid and simply… breathtaking. 

Slowly the loud thumping of his blood rushing in his ears got more and more silent as he recognized the eyes and what they stood for. Safety. Freedom. Shelter. Warmth. 

After what felt like an eternity he could make out Levi’s trembling voice; continuing to slowly whisper just three simple words into his ear. In and out. In and out. Breathe in… and out. 

Eren tried to match his breathing pattern with the slow but steady rise and fall of Levi’s chest he felt underneath his tingling fingertips. It took all the strength he could muster to concentrate on the eyes in front of him; to not let the horrifying images return and drown him once more. 

With every breath he took he felt himself slowly calm down. He could feel Levi’s finger gently stroking his cheek now – how long had the raven been doing that? He could hear the tremble in Levi’s voice still, as the other kept repeating the mantra of words he had fallen into. Why was Levi’s voice trembling? Was he afraid? But his scent was telling Eren the opposite – it was still laced with the promise of protection; confident in his abilities to provide just that. 

But now that Eren’s mind was clearing up he could tell that not everything seemed the way it was at first sight. It took him a moment, but then he noticed the underlying aroma beneath Levi’s silent pledge to look out for him. It tasted heavy on his tongue as he scented the air unconsciously. Worry. Anxiety and most prevalent: Fear. 

Levi was afraid. Afraid and worried. But of what? 

Eren searched the unwavering gunmetal eyes staring into his own. He had calmed down enough now to think clearly and ponder over the question to what could possibly rile up the strong, confident alpha in front of him so much to make his scent turn to such a degree. 

Then he saw it. 

His heart clenched and started thumping loudly. Levi’s eyes shifted from the evident look of worry to a more… gentle and almost… l-… loving one. The change was so subtle that Eren wouldn’t have been able to tell, had he not been gazing into the swirling pools of mercury for the last 5 minutes. 

He gasped, now having a different reason to why he had to catch his breath. The way Levi was looking at him, affection sparkling in the silver irises; still gently stroking his cheek with his thumb, had Eren reel from dizziness. He was treating him so _tenderly_. Like he was something precious. Like he wasn’t just a waste of time and air. Like he deserved to be treated in such a caring way. 

No one had looked at Eren like this in years. Not since his mother had died. 

It made him want to lean into the touch as much as it made him want to run away from it. He didn’t deserve it. He didn’t know how to react to such tenderness, such gentle and loving gestures. All he knew were the balled fists and kicks from his father; the rough impact they would leave behind on his tattered body, the bruises and sore muscles they would leave in their wake; so the gentle touch from his alpha seemed so alien to him. 

Before he could decide to do either of the two actions he was pondering about, the raven leaned forward. 

_Was he…?_

Eren shivered when Levi’s forehead lightly bumped into his and stayed there. The alpha was resting his forehead against his, huffing a low sigh in what seemed to be relief; silver irises still trained on his teal ones; Levi’s hands still cupping both sides of his face, his right thumb trailing soothing circles into his cheek. 

“Don’t you dare scare me like that again, you hear me brat?” Levi’s voice was no longer trembling but nothing more than a whisper, meant only for Eren to hear. But what was the alpha saying? He had scared him? 

His brows furrowed lightly. So he had been the reason to make Levi’s scent turn like that. The note of fear had stemmed from seeing him panic like this? He had scared his alpha like that? He felt a tinge of guilt wash through him; he didn’t want to scare anyone; he hadn’t meant to worry the raven. He had just reacted to the horrible memories from yesterday; the though alone being enough to make a shiver run down his spine. 

Levi seemed to sense the renewed fear and distress rising within him, his husky voice speaking up softly. “It’s ok. You’re safe here Eren” 

Eren stared into the depth of the swirling silver irises before him, and as much as he loathed the idea of trusting an alpha – especially after what happened yesterday – he knew that Levi was telling the truth. He was safe here. Here with Levi. 

The urge to lean into the raven’s touch got stronger by the minute. The longer he sat there enveloped by the musky scent of his alpha, reveling in the gentle touches Levi was giving him, had his inner omega wanting to purr at the attention he was receiving. It was delighted by how much his alpha cared about him. How worried he had been for him, how gentle he was treating him, like he was the most precious thing in the world. 

A quiet cough had them break eye-contact for the first time in what felt like minutes. Levi’s silver orbs darted immediately to the source of the unwanted noise, a low threatening growl spilling over his lips. With what seemed to be reluctance the raven pulled himself away from him but not before doing something completely unexpected to the young omega. 

He gently kissed Eren right on the spot where his forehead had rested only seconds ago. 

Eren’s teal eyes widened in surprise. He stared at Levi incredulously only to note that the raven seemed just as surprised by his impulsive action as Eren himself, which confused the brunette even more. Had the raven not wanted to do that? Where those his instincts as an alpha coming forth? 

A crazy sounding giddy chuckle stopped him from questioning the warm affection Levi had given him further; watching as said raven rolled his eyes in an excessive way at the brunette standing in the corner of the room. “Shut your damn mouth shitty glasses”

“Awwww, is our little sourpuss embarrassed?”

If the ensuing glare the raven sent her way could kill, Eren was sure that Hanji would be lying lifelessly in a pool of her own blood this very instant. A shiver wrecked through him as the ice in Levi’s voice was back, any ounce of gentleness gone instantaneously, replaced with heavily laced annoyance. “If you like speaking, I’d advise you to shut the fuck up. Otherwise I’ll rip that shitty tongue out of your mouth and relieve the world of having to hear your annoying voice ever again”

Eren shivered at the threat, but to his surprise the brunette didn’t even bat an eyelash. Instead a knowing grin found its way onto her face. How the hell could she be smiling at the menacing alpha in front of her? 

“Leviiiiii. You’d never do that do meeeee, riiiight? I’m your frieeeend.” Hanji whined. With a hint of amusement she added “Also, you never know where my mouth has been in the past 24 hours, so you wouldn’t dare right?” 

Levi visibly shuddered and stared at her incredulously “Fucking disgusting, four-eyes.”

Hanji just giggled. She freaking giggled. Eren couldn’t believe it. 

But then again, he had observed Levi throughout the whole interaction and despite him threatening her in a way that would have most people piss their pants and scramble to get away from him, Eren could somehow tell that it was just that. A threat. Levi wouldn’t act on it. It was just his way of keeping annoying things at bay. At least that’s the feeling Eren got from studying the raven attentively. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a phone ringing noisily. It seemed to be Levi’s as the alpha took out a shiny black phone from his pocket only to sigh at the name that popped up on his screen. He cupped the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his index finger and hesitated.

Curiosity got the better out of him and Eren inched forward. He wanted to know who exactly was calling _his alpha_ so early in the morning. His omega surged with possessiveness, no one called that early in the morning; only family, friends and loved ones would. So that meant the person calling Levi right now was someone close. The omega within him hissed at the thought of it being something _other_ than a friend or family member. The alpha was _his_. 

He shook his head at his last thought. Fuck, how could he control that stupid inner voice of his omega? Levi wasn’t his. And it should be none of his business who was calling the raven right now. 

Sighing heavily Levi picked up the phone, uttering an icy “What do you want Erwin?”

Erwin. A guy. So a friend? Or boyfriend? Eren crinched at the thought. No, no, Levi wouldn’t have been looking at him the way he did if he had a boyfriend right? He wouldn’t have kissed him on the forehead if he had someone waiting for him at home right? Yeah, yeah, nothing to worry about here. 

The rational part of him sneered at the needy whiny monologue he was hearing from his inner omega. It’s not like he knew the raven at all, so how could he be sure that the raven wasn’t like _that_. That he wouldn’t cheat on someone. Or that the way he had treated Eren even meant something. It was probably just his way of soothing someone having a panic attack. Maybe it was just how he acted when someone needed help. 

Why the fuck was he even thinking like that; it wasn’t like he was interested in the guy. The guy was an alpha after all! And Eren didn’t want to have anything to do with the fuckers, so why did it bother him so much whether or not Levi had a partner? 

His thoughts were interrupted by Levi’s voice; anger and irritation now clear as day at his next retort “You have got to be shitting me. You’re not serious right shitty eyebrows?”

Eren’s brows furrowed. What was it with Levi and insults? But then again, if he insulted the other person that meant that they weren’t _that_ close right? He wanted to sigh in relief but then he realized that Levi had been referring to him as ‘brat’ all along, so could he really be so sure of the fact that the raven and this mysterious Erwin weren’t close? No he couldn’t. 

“Fucking hell Erwin. You’re so going to pay for this….” Levi growled between gritted teeth “Fine. Fine. I’m doing it. Not like I have a choice here.”

Levi seemed to want to cut the call short, but the person on the other hand said something before Levi could hang up; making the raven’s features morph into a deep scowl. “I know. Yes, yes. On Friday; I remember.”

Friday? What was going on on Friday? Was Levi meeting up with this Erwin person on Friday? Was there actually something going on between the two of them? _There better be not!_

Before he could stop himself, a low hiss slipped over his lips; making both Hanji and Levi turn around to stare at him. From the corner of his eyes he could see Hanjis mouth gaping open, surprise written all over her face to his frankly quite embarrassing behavior. But Hanjis’s expression soon turned into one of… excitement? 

Eren didn’t really know and right now he didn’t really care too much about his Professor, he was too focused on his alpha and the mysterious potential threat on the phone. 

The brief shimmer of surprise that flashed through Levi’s mercury orbs was quickly replaced by an impassionate expression as he focused his attention on the phone call again; much to Eren’s dismay. 

“Yes, Erwin I know. Fucking hell, if you want me to come in then stop pestering me. I need to go home and change.”

Judging by the expression on Levi’s face, he must have said something that he didn’t want to say. The raven gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath when the voice on the other end of the line spoke again. A not so subtle ‘Tch’ made its way out of Levi’s throat; his voice now ringing with true annoyance and agitation. “None of your damn business, eyebrows.” This Erwin person seemed to be saying something again, so Levi ended the call by adding an icy “Fuck off Erwin, stop annoying me. I’ll come in so you got what you wanted. See you later”

With that Levi just hung up on the other. His scent was oozing annoyance now, the warmth and gentleness that had surrounded him like a warm blanket was gone and he almost whined at the loss. But he was too preoccupied with sorting his jumbled thoughts. Levi was close to this Erwin guy. Eren couldn’t quite tell how close but the fact that they were and the fact that he didn’t know to what extent had his inner omega on edge. Then there was the whole Friday business, but most importantly… Levi was about to leave. 

Eren didn’t know how to feel about Levi leaving; his inner omega wailed at the thought of ‘his alpha’ leaving him when he was still so on edge with so many questions left unanswered. Then there was also the part about him not having processed anything of what happened yesterday, not even mentioning what occurred between them just now. 

But he knew one thing: Levi made him feel safe. 

The usual Eren would sneer at the thought of needing someone to protect him; he was strong enough to handle it. But the past 24 hours had changed his perception on that. He hadn’t been strong enough – far from it exactly. He hadn’t been able to fight off the alphas by himself, he hadn’t been able to protect Armin and he most certainly hadn’t been able to throw off Mikasa. If not for Levi his whole life would be turned upside down right now. So as much as a part of him still hated the thought, his pride meant nothing if he could feel safe for even a second longer. 

There was so much more behind the feeling of not wanting the raven gone, but Eren couldn’t be bothered to analyze his feelings further at the moment. He just didn’t want to be left alone, and Levi had protected him so many times, Eren had lost count. The raven’s presence was soothing to him, his scent a friendly reminder that he had nothing to worry about with Levi here. So no, he didn’t want him to leave. 

His eyes locked with Levi’s as the raven lifted his gaze to look at him once again. Something Eren couldn’t quite place flashed in the silver irises now trained on him. But his mind was too preoccupied with coming up with ideas on how he could make the raven in front of him stay to analyze the emotion he was seeing reflected in Levi’s eyes. 

The sound of Hanji clearing her throat had them break their staring contest once again. This time Levi seemed less annoyed at the contact being broken; Eren however started to loathe his Professors existence. Can’t she just get a fucking clue, go and leave them alone? Tch.

He frowned at how much the omega inside of him had already taken control over his thoughts. He didn’t really want to be alone with the raven right? That was just the omega speaking. Must be. That’s the only explanation to why he would want to be alone with an alpha… right?

Eren was so confused. He could no longer tell the difference between his thoughts and his omegas. Was it just the omega’s desire to be close to Levi or did he as a person want that too? Fucking hell, this was so frustrating. 

All the while Eren’s gaze had been fixed on Levi. His expression wasn’t showing it; his face still apathetic as always, but his eyes were telling Eren a different story. He seemed torn. But why?

“Awwww, I so wanna take both of your blood right now” Hanji’s high-pitched squeal interrupted Eren’s pondering and earned herself another glare from Levi. “Fuck off four-eyes”

Unperturbed by the insult Hanji just continued “Oh shush, grumpycat. This is soooooo interesting. I wonder if your blood-work would show something. Ah, I’m so excited, Levi! This is so great!”

Levi just sighed heavily in response as if Hanji had just said the most exasperating thing ever. The scientist was looking back and forth between the two of them, seemingly waiting for any further interaction to ensue. The way she was staring at the both of them made Eren feel extremely uncomfortable; like he was some animal in a zoo and she was waiting behind a glass window for something interesting to happen. 

Levi seemed to feel the same way “Fucking stop it shitty glasses. You’re making him uncomfortable.”

Hanji let out a small whine but straightened up at Levi’s reprimand. She stopped ogling at the both of them and instead focused her attention on the raven. Her brows furrowed momentarily, only to be replaced by a giddy grin that was way too wide for her features. Eren knew some of the antics of his Professor, having sat next to her for some of her experiments. So he knew that that grin was reserved for when she had found something that proved a theory of hers, but what exactly in Levi’s behavior had prompted the familiar Cheshire-like grin of the brunette?

Eren heard a low ‘Tch’ when Levi seemed to have reached the same conclusion. 

To his surprise Hanji’ voice was no longer shrill but calm and level-headed when she spoke up “Levi. It’s ok, you can leave. I’ll take care of him and make sure he’s safe.”

Wait… _what?_

A mix of emotion was whirling inside of him at the words of his Professor. Confusion at first to what exactly she meant with that. Delight when he realized that Levi must not have wanted to leave him. That the torn expression he had seen on Levi’s face must have been because of that. He didn’t want to leave Eren. He wanted to make sure he was safe and sound; protected from any potential harm. And then anger. Anger at the fact that Hanji had spoken like he hadn’t even been in the room; like he had no say in the matter; like only Levi’s opinion mattered. 

“Wasn’t that what you said yesterday as well? Didn’t turn out so great now, did it?” The accusation was strong in Levi’s words, his eyes narrowed at the brunette standing in front of him, who for the first time in the entire conversation flinched at the raven’s words. A look of guilt crossed her face, her expression turning sorrowful as she turned her gaze towards Eren. 

“And I’m so incredibly sorry for that. But unless Eren wants me to, I won’t leave his side today. I’ll explain everything to him and we could even go and visit Armin in the hospital.” 

Eren saw the remorse in her expression, the way her eyes pleaded for him to accept her apology, but honestly there was nothing to forgive. He didn’t blame her for what happened yesterday, she couldn’t possibly have known that Mikasa would follow Armin and eavesdrop on their conversation. If Eren blamed someone then it was Mikasa. His so called _‘childhood friend’_ who had done the inexcusable; who had betrayed him on so many levels. She knew exactly how he felt about mates and bonding, not to mention _alphas_ and she had still forced herself on him. What kind of friend would do that? 

Tears were threatening to spill out again as he thought about how heavy Mikasa’s betrayal weighted on him. How could she do such a thing? Nothing justified acting like that. _**Nothing!**_

Not even the shitty alphas in the alleyway had tried to force-bond him; not even when he was in full-blown heat had they reacted in such a way. And the suppressants had been working when he had been in the infirmary. Sure, there must have been some lingering scent of his heat, but it was no justification for her almost force-bonding him! That was for life and Mikasa knew it! Mikasa knew that he never wanted a mate. He never wanted to end up like Grisha; an emotional mess over the loss of their other half. He never wanted any of that and she knew it. 

She betrayed him, and he never wanted to see her face again. Not after this. 

“Eren…” He looked up into the eyes of the man who had saved him from all of it and his anger was washed away immediately. Levi was looking at him with such tenderness that he couldn’t help but melt as he stared at his alpha; waiting for him to continue. 

“Eren, I’m sorry but I have to leave. Shitty Erwin wants me to come in and hold an extra lesson to make up for the ones I missed yesterday.” 

Oh. So that was it. That’s what they were talking about on the phone. So then this Erwin guy was his boss? But the way Levi had spoken to him… no employee would normally speak like that to their boss, so they must be friends as well. Otherwise Levi wouldn’t be able to talk like that right? 

“I have to leave, but if you need anything… _anything at all_ , even if it’s just to get away from annoying glasses over there… call this number, ok? I’ll be there as fast as possible.”

With that he handed him a small piece of paper and faced Hanji again. 

Eren just stared at the paper in his hand; the numbers on it were written in the neatest handwriting he had ever seen, but only a small part of his brain appreciated the beautiful writing. He was too preoccupied with a single thought: he had just gotten the phone number of his alpha! He couldn’t believe it. 

His omega was purring happily in triumph but Eren was just so utterly confused on how he should feel about all of this. Leaving the omega aside, he was relieved that he had someone to rely on, that someone would come and help him if he needed it, that Levi seemed to care enough about him to give him his number. The raven didn’t seem like the type to hand his number out to just anyone. But a part of him felt like all the messed up things he was feeling for the raven were happening too fast and too quickly. How much of it was his second gender and how much of it was actually Eren? 

He looked up from the paper to see Levi opening his mouth to say something to Hanji, but she was quicker than him; interrupting him before he could even get a word out. “I know, Levi.” 

A brief pause ensued, Levi’s eyes narrowing at the brunette, before he uttered quietly and in an almost deadly tone “You better, shitty glasses”

He threw her a threatening glare before turning around one last time to look at Eren, who was clutching the paper tightly to his chest. Once again Levi seemed torn as to what to do; looking at the brunette like he was searching for an answer. Eren however was staring at him like a deer caught in headlights, he still hadn’t processed anything of what had just happened and his expression reflected the growing confusion inside of him. 

Another wave of sandalwood and pine washed over him, before the scent retracted; Levi giving him a final glance before turning around and walking out of the room. 

Eren stared after the short figure longingly. Levi’s aroma was still lingering over him, but now that the raven was no longer here, the strength of the smell was fading away quickly. 

Before he could help himself, he let out a needy mewl, whimpering at the loss of the soothing presence next to him. Uncomfortable now that his alpha had left. With every second passing his inner omega was becoming more and more frenzied; shouting at him to follow his alpha, to make sure that he would stay with him, take care of him, look after him and be at his side. 

Eren couldn’t stop the voice screeching inside of him: Levi had left. 

His alpha had left. Left him alone; abandoned him. He didn’t want him. He wasn’t desirable. He was a sorry excuse for an omega, presenting so late and all. Who would possibly want him? No one would. And most certainly not a strong and attractive alpha like Levi, who could have just about anyone. Why would he bother with him? A shitty brat that knew nothing, that couldn’t even protect himself. That was weak and helpless. Nobody would want him and that’s why Levi had left. 

He started shaking again, his body trembling when the thoughts of his omega took over his entire being. He wanted to curl up in a ball and just be left alone. He wanted to wail and scream. He felt so abandoned. So alone. 

Just when he was about start sobbing, he heard a gentle voice. Her words were soft, spoken in a slow manner to make sure he would understand every single word of what she was saying. “Eren. Levi hasn’t abandoned you. He didn’t want to leave you; I know that you know that. You could feel it and see it. He was so torn; I’ve never seen him that way in all the years that I’ve known him.” 

Eren finally looked up, not fully trusting the words of his professor. She could be lying to him, his omega whined. She could just say all of that to make him calm down. It didn’t change the fact that his alpha had left. Left him alone. 

But then he saw the gentlest of smiles he had ever seen on his professor’s face and he decided in that moment that he believed her. She seemed to know Levi really well, probably being one of his few friends – he somehow couldn’t imagine Levi having a lot of friends – so she must know him better than anyone. If she said that he didn’t want to leave and that it was obvious to anyone knowing him then he should believe her, right?

Hanji waited patiently for him to reach his conclusion on whether or not he should trust her words. But when she continued she knew that she had his full attention now. 

“I know it’s a lot to take in. And I know that you’re secondary gender must be going haywire inside of you. You probably don’t even know which part of your feelings are ‘you’ and which part stem from your omega.” 

Eren only nodded. She had hit the nail right on the head. He couldn’t distinguish between himself and his omega. The borders were mixed and blurry and he had no idea how to control the whiny ball of emotion inside of him. 

“First things first, I’ve told you some things about presenting so late yesterday, but the most crucial thing is that since you’ve never had to deal with your secondary gender up until now, it will take some time to get used to it. I think it would be best to talk to other omegas about getting attuned to your inner omega. Armin would be a great choice I believe; I’m sure he could help you with that.”

She paused briefly, giving Eren a moment to let everything sink in. After a few seconds he nodded in affirmation. Talking to Armin would definitely help. His best friend had never let his inner omega slip out, he always seemed so in touch with his inner omega, so he could hopefully help him understand his own inner beast better. 

“There is something else that I need to tell you… it has something to do with what you might feel for Levi right now…” 

Eren’s brows furrowed at his professor’s words. He looked at her with suspicion in his eyes, how could she possibly know that he was confused about what he was feeling for the raven?

“Eren… The way you two act around each other, the way you look at each other and the way both of you described your experiences from yesterday – how each other’s scent was the most delectable and intoxicating thing you had ever smelled, how it made you feel safe and at home – had me think of something that I’ve read about during my studies. But it’s extremely rare and only a few cases are documented ‘til this day. I’m pretty sure you’ve read about it as well since it was partially a topic in one of my lectures…”

Eren blinked. 

His mind was a complete and utter mess – how was she expecting him to remember some tiny morsel from one of her lectures? He had so much else on his plate to deal with right now. He couldn’t even sort out his own feelings let alone process all the things that happened to him during the past 24 hours, so no, he had no idea what she was referring to. 

“I’m taking about the topic of true mates Eren…”

Now he was truly looking at her like a deer caught in headlights. True mates? 

Who? 

_Him and Levi?_

That was a joke right? There were hardly any cases documented so there was no way that he was part of such a strong bond. True mates shared some of the strongest bonds there were. After having bonded, their pheromones only work on their other half, in some cases the texts even spoke about the pair sharing a mental link of some sort. It was never clearly stated as to what kind of link that was, whether they could hear each other’s thoughts or were just very attuned to each other’s emotions to the point of being able to tell what their partner was feeling. 

But there were hints about whether two people were true mates or not. The books he had read spoke about an unimaginable pull towards their fated partner – especially upon smelling their scent for the very first time. All the usual alpha and omega signs and reactions would be intensified. Omega’s would feel abandoned when their mate would leave, the alpha’s sense of having to protect their partner at the same time so intense that they had a hard time leaving. Every contact between the pair would feel like bliss, would give them the feeling of being home, being completed – like there had been a part missing all along. 

That’s just ridiculous. No way he and Levi were mates; let alone true mates. He just felt insanely grateful that the raven had saved him – that’s all. That and that he was fucking attractive. So yeah his feelings must have gotten jumbled up by presenting so late. No reason to come up with a ridiculous theory like that. Hanji must be getting bored with her research if she was so desperate as to claim that they were true mates. 

“That’s ridiculous Hanji. I don’t know him… I just met him yesterday.” It was the first time he had spoken since he had woken up so his voice sounded raspy and unsure. 

Hanji’s however was clear as day; unwavering and relentless. Eren could tell that she truly believed in what she was saying “Still, you clearly felt abandoned by your alpha when Levi left just now. You almost had another panic attack. Your feelings are heightened, intensified by the fact that you guys are true mates. And no, your suppressants are working perfectly fine, so it has nothing to do with your heat cycle or anything of the sort. Your inner omega is in so much turmoil because not only did you present so late, having suppressed it for so long, you also immediately found your mate. So it’s natural for you not being able to control your omega properly right now. Judging by the way Levi felt so torn about leaving you it only makes sense that you guys are true mates. You felt intoxicated by Levi’s scent right? You told me you felt like you belonged in his arms remember? Like a missing piece had fallen into place? That’s exactly what it was. You found your other half and it is what’s making your feelings and your omega go haywire.”

“N-no, no, Hanji… th-that’s just impossible. I can’t have a mate. I don’t want one. I don’t ever want a mate. I don’t have one, can’t you see? It’s just one of your theories, there’s no proof. He’s not my mate Hanji. He’s not…. He’s not... _he can’t be…_ ”

His voice was nothing more than a whisper at his last words, but Hanji heard him anyway. She stared into his teal eyes and sighed. “Ok, Eren. I won’t push you on this. Just think about it, and how you feel about Levi… I think you would be good for him.”

Eren just gawked at his professor. What did she mean by that? It sounded almost sad, almost like Levi needed some help. But how could he possibly help Levi? He was weak and powerless; there was no way he could help his – ‘the’ alpha.

Suddenly without any warning Hanji threw something at him, immediately pulling him out of his stupor. He reacted fast enough to catch the jingling small item with his right hand; raising a brow at his professor questioningly before looking down at the thing his fingers were clutching around. A golden key was glittering in the morning sun that shone through the window to his right. 

“What’s this Hanji?”

“It’s the key to your dorm room. It’s right next to this one, so you will be neighbors with Armin.” 

Wait… he got into the dorm? His application was accepted? And he even got the room next to Armin’s? 

For the first time since he presented as an omega, a genuine smile spread over Eren’s features; his teal eyes glistening with tears of happiness. 

He was free. Free from the clutches of his father. Free to live his life as he pleased. No more beatings. No more hiding. No more. He was free. 

“M- my application got accepted?” he barely choked on the question and he didn’t really expect Hanji to answer but when she did, her explanation left him dumbfounded. 

“Technically no. Your application was rejected, but Levi pulled a few strings and made it happen.” Eren stared at her wide-eyed. Levi had made this happen? Oh my god, he had to thank the raven. He must have had no idea how much this meant to him. 

“Oh and Eren? Your things will be brought over today. Levi got your address from your wallet and organized the movers… But uhm… please don’t be mad at him for doing this. He was actually really worried about making this decision for you. He didn’t want to come across like an alpha that just decided things for others. But after your reaction to his suggestion of bringing you home yesterday, he felt like you didn’t really want to go home; like going home would only make things worse. So he tried to find a way so you didn’t have to. So please know that he only had your best interest in mind.”

Eren just stared at her. 

He didn’t’ have to go back. Not even to get his things. He wouldn’t have to see Grisha again. How could he possibly be mad at Levi for giving all of that to him? He couldn’t. He never would. All that he felt for the raven was gratitude. 

Warmth filled him at the thought of what his alpha had done for him. Not only had he saved him, now he had also protected him from the clutches of his abusive father. He had given him freedom. 

“Eren, are you ok? If you don’t want this then just say so. I’m sure we can come up with something else…” – “No! no, no Hanji. T-this is great. The… the best thing ever. I’m so happy… _thank you_ … thank you _so_ much.” He clutched the key tightly to his chest as he wiped away the last remnants of his tears from his cheeks. 

“No need to thank me. I wasn’t the one who organized this.” 

Eren just nodded. He would thank Levi personally. Oh how he would thank him. His alpha had just given him the one thing he truly wished for. _Freedom._ And it was given to him by an alpha – the dynamic that usually repressed omegas and used them for their own benefit. Oh the irony. But then again, Levi was far from the stereotypical alpha. He was different. Deep down Eren knew that Levi would never treat him like he was something less; something unworthy just because he was born into a different dynamic. No, the raven would never do such a thing. 

While he was reveling in the thought of having found an alpha that proved to be special, Hanji cleared her throat and softly asked if he wanted to go see Armin now. 

_Oh my god. Armin!_

“How is he? Is he ok? What happened yesterday?” 

How could he have forgotten to ask about Armin? What kind of a shitty friend was he? He was so preoccupied with Levi that he had completely forgotten about his best friend. His best friend who had stood up for him, had stood between him and a pheromone-induced alpha, who had tried to protect him… and had to be hospitalized because of that. And all Eren had done in repayment was to forget about the whole ordeal. He felt so guilty and ashamed. What a sorry excuse of a best friend he was. 

“He’s fine Eren. He has a concussion but they are monitoring him in the hospital. He has to stay for another day, just to make sure that everything is alright.”

Relief washed through him at Hanji’s words. Armin was fine. A concussion was nothing to joke about, but there were no serious or long-lasting injuries. Thank god. “I wanna go see him Hanji.” 

“Ok then, let’s get going~” The cheerful playfulness was back in Hanji’s voice as she ushered him out of the door, downstairs and into her car; all the while blabbering on about some experiment she was conducting at the university. Eren was grateful that for once she wasn’t bombarding him with questions about his whole situation, being an omega or the whole deal with Levi. He was too exhausted to answer any questions and he really needed some time to think. He stared out of the window of the passenger seat; ignoring Hanji’s constant babbling and started trying to make sense of his thoughts and feelings. But deep down he knew that _that_ was going to be a long process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jealous Eren makes an appearance XD Also Levi has given Eren his wings of freedom XD hehe XD i really wanted to write it like that from the very beginning, that instead of restricting him, Levi is the first person to give Eren the freedom he needs ^^


	10. Pull

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry everyone for not having posted in such a long time QwQ but i was very busy with work and cosplay - i had two shootings on ice during the past 3 weeks so i really didn't have the spare time to write since i hat to work on the cosplays. Don't worry this FF will go on for a while and i will try to post regularly but sometimes it might take a week longer. anyways i hope you enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think :)

A gentle breeze was blowing through Levi's hair; tousling his messy raven locks further and making him focus briefly on his disgruntedly un-kept appearance, as he briskly made his way through the now deserted campus. Tch. What a fucking day. 

In the corner of his eye he could see the first rays of sunshine slowly peeking over the horizon, the gentle and warm orange hue mixing with the darkened grey; enveloping the usually dull campus in a rather mesmerizing color. But Levi didn't pay attention to any of it.  
His thoughts still lingered with a certain teal-eyed brat. 

He huffed out a sigh of annoyance at the realization and continued to walk past the tall entrance building of Trost University. But with every step he took it got harder and harder. Until he had to consciously put effort into urging his body to walk back to his own apartment – and _not_ to the dormitory he knew for certain Eren was still in. 

"For fuck's sake." he grumbled under his breath; clenching his fists in frustration. The pull was getting stronger the further away he got from his omega. The more distance he put between them, the more prevalent the unhappy growling of his inner alpha became; urging him back to Eren's side, craving the proximity of the delectable omega, yearning to have him in his arms once again; to make sure he was safe and protected. 

Levi shook his head in slight exasperation. The brat wasn't weak. He didn't need his constant hovering or protection. He might be an omega but he was far from weak, and if Levi was one thing, then certainly not the stereotypical stupid alpha forcing their partner into constant submission and getting off on that shit. Hell no.

So, no. He wasn't going back to Eren's side. The brat didn't need him. He was safe now. He was on suppressants and Hanji was with him. 

_'That didn't help much yesterday now, did it?'_ he clicked his tongue as the annoying thought crept back into his mind. It wasn't Hanjis fault and as much as his inner alpha wanted to put the blame on his longtime childhood friend, he knew realistically that Hanji hadn't done anything wrong. She had tried her best. 

_'Her best wasn't good enough'_ A low growl abruptly echoed through the empty street he was walking down, startling a stray cat in an alley to his right, who then proceeded to hiss at him unhappily. He barely paid the cat any attention; his mind still too focused on deciphering the strange pull he felt towards Eren and not blaming Hanji for what had happened in the infirmary. However, the hissing had his head snap back at the cat, staring at her almost incredulously as a different image popped up in his head. 

Eren hissing at him. Teeth slightly fledged, body poised challengingly, pupils dilated in displeasure. 

But he hadn't _really_ been hissing at _him_. Not truly and for some reason Levi could sense that. The brat's behavior hadn't vexed him like it usually would. If anyone else had tried to pull that shit on him, he would have gutted them alive. But from Eren it was strangely… adorable?  
He shook his head at the disturbing thought of him finding _anyone_ 'adorable' and continued down the streets, passing the last few blocks to his apartment. 

But what _had_ displeased the brat so much that it had him hissing with such anger and ferocity? He pondered over the question for a minute, in the end not reaching a satisfying conclusion… 

He had been talking to Erwin, but Eren had never met him… so was it something he said? He went over the entire conversation in his head; replaying what he had said to shitty eyebrows that could have brought forth such a strong reaction out of the newly presented omega. 

He had been talking about Friday and about the shitty meeting Erwin had forced him to agree on; clicking his tongue in annoyance upon remembering his agreement with the blonde. He'd much rather stay at home and read a book or watch a movie then go out with the blonde brute he called a friend. Going out with Erwin was always a major pain in the ass. Hanji's nagging was nothing compared to it. Erwin had a certain way to weasel himself into your brain and get whatever you refused to think or talk about out to the surface - which usually led to Levi drinking heavily out of annoyance. He hadn't minded the hangovers when he had been in his early and mid-20s; but now they had a heavier toll on him. 

He rolled his eyes at the knowledge of what he had to endure again this Friday; and he knew for certain that with the appearance of Eren in his life and him already having said too much; that Erwin wouldn't let this one go. It didn't help that he seemed to have been in contact with shit-specs, probably talking each other's ears off on what was going on in his life. Fucking hell. They should just leave him be for fuck's sake. He wasn't some sort of amusement for them. 

Gritting his teeth, he finally reached his apartment; unlocking the door with stiff fingers. His body still seemed to have the stupid idea of trying to force him back to Eren; refusing to function properly until he returned to the omega's side. 

When he was finally in the apartment, he immediately went for the shower. As much as his inner alpha was screaming furiously at him for the idea of washing off Eren's delicious scent and the lovely mix of their pheromones that was swirling around in the air, Levi couldn't give a shit. He was reeking. He needed the goddamn shower. 

With some effort, he forced the raging beast inside of him into submission and stepped under the steady stream of hot water. It was almost scalding, but the steam helped his muscles to relax from the exhausting day he had. 

Closing his eyes and letting the droplets of water run down his body, his mind started going back to the question he had been pondering over for the last 10 minutes. What exactly _had_ worked up the shitty brat so much?

Considering the shit-eating grin he had seen on Hanji's face after Eren had let go of his instincts, glasses must know or have some idea what it was all about. So it shouldn't be that hard to figure out right? 

He was talking to Erwin – a person unknown to Eren. And he was promising to meet up with them on Friday…

Suddenly it clicked. 

Eren's omega hadn't liked the idea of him meeting up with someone else. Much less someone the brat didn't know... 

Was the brat actually jealous of the idea of him meeting up with Erwin? 

No. No, no, that was ridiculous. That wasn't it. He barely even knew him! And if he did, he would probably run; tail between his legs and all. 

He sighed again. This was all just too fucking complicated. Why the fuck had he decided to follow that stupidly intoxicating smell in the first place. Why hadn't he just ignored it? Tch. But then again, he didn't _truly_ regret having met the kid, and he certainly didn't regret having saved him from being almost raped and force-bonded. 

The thought and unfortunately rather vivid image of Mikasa fucking Ackermann looming over the lovely brunette with teeth scraping his scent gland had him fletch his teeth aggressively at the bathroom wall. The fucking bitch. He should've hurt her; should’ve shown her her place; should’ve taught her not to mess with what was _his_. 

No pain would even come close to the emotional trauma she caused Eren. Levi didn't want to imagine dreading being bonded against your own will – much less after only having presented mere hours ago. Everything must still be new to Eren; the lack of control he showed this morning only further proof of that. But the bloody ravenette hadn't given a shit. All she had seen was an unclaimed omega. 

That's exactly why he loathed his own dynamic. Not caring about consequences or how other people felt – just taking what they wanted. What they thought was their right, their right by nature. Arrogant shitholes. Most of them thought that they actually _were_ the strongest dynamic. Bullshit. Tell that to an omega going through a heat every fucking 4months and giving birth to a child. If that isn't strength and endurance then what is!

Droplets of water sprayed over the walls as Levi shook his head angrily. He had always hated the discrimination based on secondary gender; fighting with teeth and nails against the unfair system that was unfortunately still oh so prevalent in today’s society. Yeah omega’s had gained rights, but were they actually enforced properly? No! Would a single judge rule in favor of an omega when his opponent was an alpha in court? No. Why? Cause almost all of the politicians, judges and business men were alphas themselves. Nothing would change like that, unless the alphas realized what kind of shit-stains they were being. 

He was lucky to having met someone with similar ideals than him during high-school. Erwin had been like a fresh breath of air compared to all the other shitty alphas lingering in that school. He still shared his beliefs to this day – implementing it as best as he could in Trost University itself – which wasn’t exactly an easy task. But then again, that knowledge had been the only reason to why he had let Mikasa actually walk out of that building – unscathed. He knew that her deeds would not go unpunished. _Not under Erwin._

It didn’t change the fact that she had hurt Eren. 

He didn’t know what kind of effect her attempt would have on Eren in the long run; considering how fragile the brat’s mind must have been after the horrible assholes he had run into in the morning, not even fully understanding what was going on with his body. Presenting wasn’t an easy feat – no matter the dynamics. And then Mikasa had to top it all off with her flat-out disgusting behavior for an alpha. 

The brat already seemed to detest the dynamic before having gone through what he did today. So what would it be like from now on? Would he also ignore Levi, just because he’s an alpha? 

The thought stung, his heart clenching heavily when he imagined Eren not wanting to have anything to do with him. As unrealistic as it was given how the brat had reacted to his presence, he still couldn’t help but picture it. Loneliness washed through him as the pull towards the dormitory intensified even further. 

He closed his eyes and slowly breathed in through his nose, trying to calm himself and his inner alpha. Eren wouldn’t be like that. Not after Levi had proven to him more than once that he wasn’t like the other shitty alphas. 

Also… the way the omega had reacted to him during his panic attack - clinging to him desperately, grasping at him; not wanting to let go…. his beautiful teal orbs staring into his gunmetal ones – almost as if searching for something; searching for an answer to a question unasked; searching for something hidden within him – had him question if the brat would ever actually treat him just like any other alpha. The way Eren’s breathing had slowly but steadily synchronized with his own, how his chest had risen and fallen in synch with Levi’s and how right that had felt to the raven, and how the brat had finally, finally calmed down… if the brunette truly despised him, then his performance was worthy of a goddamn Oscar. No way he would react to Levi like that if he detested him – _more like the opposite_ – his inner alpha insisted smugly. 

If anything had given it away that the brat might actually like him, then it was the dilated ocean-green pupils almost staring into his soul, the blatantly obvious reluctance to let him go and the jealous hiss he had given Erwin as Levi had mentioned meeting up with him. 

A tiny smile crept onto Levi’s face as he spun the thought further, to the potential meaning of all of those actions. If Eren truly _was_ jealous… wouldn’t that mean that he was interested in him too? 

_‘Too’_? Fucking hell. His alpha was really having a field day with him today. Now it had him fawning over the idea of the brat liking him? Yeah right… 

He sighed and turned off the water, rubbing at his temples in irritation; for once too tired to fight his alpha back into submission. Stepping out of the shower and reaching for a towel, he halted abruptly. His inner beast now roaming freely had suddenly decided that it was the right time to throw the picture of Eren almost choking due to lack of oxygen back at him, growling and desperately trying to convince him to go back to the omega’s side. _'What if something like that happened again'?!_

Levi froze. His whole body telling him to do one thing and one thing only: bolting to Eren’s side as quickly as he could. 

Slowly after a few seconds he gained control of his motor functions again, as the initial shock subsided. He cupped the bridge of his nose with his fingers and let out an unpleased rumble.  
The image of the omega having a panic attack and almost choking shook him to the core. He couldn’t help it; his hands started trembling again only from the one single image his mind had conjured. His mate not getting air; not getting enough oxygen to breathe. His mate dying. 

He had never felt so helpless in his entire life. 

The sight of Eren had made him feel so weak. So useless. 

He couldn’t help his omega. He couldn’t do anything. All he could do was watch as Eren fought for air. 

And finally after what felt like an eternity, his instincts had taken over. His inner alpha seemed to know exactly what Eren needed; holding him close; showing him visibly that he was there; grounding him and giving him the anchor he desperately needed. 

He had never produced a scent as potent and soothing as in the moment he feared of losing his other half. He had wrapped it around the younger like a warm comfortable blanket, enveloping him in the scent, trying his best to lull Eren into a peaceful calmness; comforting him both with his scent and physical presence. For his eyes never wavered for one second. Continuously staring into the teal irises; whispering promises in unspoken words, vowing to never leave the sweet omega; to stay by his side; to protect and nurture. 

For once Levi had been grateful to his second gender, although remembering the last part had him shiver in slight discomfort. It almost sounded like one of these stupid wedding vows they kept showing in these disgusting love-soap fests of Hollywood-movies. 

Still, Levi had never felt so relieved in his entire life as when Eren started to breathe in sync with him. 

He had barely held himself back from hugging the brunette to death; not to even mention letting go again. Only Hanji’s presence had made him realize that perhaps this wasn’t the time and place for the intimate moment they almost had. 

Eren had still been shaking like a leaf and Levi could quite clearly imagine what must have riled up the brat so much. He must have remembered the previous day; the feelings, sensations and emotions coming back to him all at once. 

No wonder Eren had had a panic attack. 

_'But what if he actually hadn’t calmed down in time…'_

Levi let out a shaky breath, reminding himself that Eren was _fine_. 

He still felt the pull – stronger than ever in that very moment; his body still urging him to go and find the source of the strange phenomenon - so that meant that the brat was ok. 

It was as if the string that connected the both of them wasn’t just pulling them towards each other. It was like a safety net Levi realized; reminding him that Eren was still there, still alive and breathing. And while it certainly riled up his inner alpha to follow the string to its other end, it also calmed him down in a way. Knowing that the brat was safe and sound was… reassuring, to say the least. Also, Levi kind of had a hunch that if he intently focused on the connection, he would probably even be able to tell where Eren was, roughly at least. 

_Seriously?!_ What the fuck? Was he a stalker or something? 

He grumbled at the new discovery and with to his dismay still slightly shaky hands, he started putting on his clothes for today. After all he still had to teach the stupid classes Erwin had forced him to deputize. Something about a fellow professor being sick and Levi being available for sure after the fiasco yesterday. _‘Available for sure’_ my ass. 

After having put on his jacket but leaving out the tie, he ran his hand over the scent gland on his neck; noticing a strange emptiness he was feeling. Having washed away the lovely aroma of Eren didn’t sit well with him it seemed. His scent gland was tingling, itching uncomfortably now that the delectable scent his own was mixing with was gone. 

Levi let out an irritated growl. Fucking hell, couldn’t he catch a break from his fucking instincts?! First this strange pull towards the brat and now his scent gland was itching from NOT having another scent there? What the fuck was this shitty brat doing to him?!

Exasperated, he ran his hands through his raven locks when he suddenly noticed the pull shifting. It was no longer directing him to the dormitory, but instead felt as if it was continuously moving. Levi’s eyes widened momentarily, only to narrow seconds later. Eren was going somewhere. 

Panic spread through him at the thought of the younger male just wandering around again; his alpha nervously pacing back and forth, growling lowly at the idea of his omega not having decent enough protection. It took him a moment to calm down and remind himself that Eren was strong; could take care of himself and that wherever he was going, Hanji must be there too.

It wasn’t hard to guess where the two of them were headed, given that he had an internal GPS of Eren now, pointing him to a certain direction and having the knowledge that Arlert was in the Trost hospital located a bit further north to where Eren was going. He must be visiting the blonde omega. 

Truth be told, he had been quite relieved this morning when Hanji came knocking on the door and told him that Arlert was _truly_ alright. The medics had said that he most likely only had a concussion, but still you never know. 

Ok, well yeah, that might be a partial lie….he hadn’t really been ecstatic when the brunette had first knocked on the door, growling and fletching his teeth threateningly at the intruder. Hanji however had just giggled, tilted her head to the side in submission before Levi had realized what he was doing and shaken himself out of his alpha stupor. 

She had spent the night in the hospital, making sure that Arlert was alright. The boy didn’t have any family members it seemed, his grandfather having died shortly after entering the university, so Hanji had stayed with him. 

Levi knew that Hanji had a very caring side to her beneath all the superficial craziness. Especially given the circumstances, she must feel rather guilty about what happened in the infirmary yesterday. He knew that a part of her would blame herself for not being there on time, for having left the omegas alone. Despite her border-line crazy interest in dynamics, all she really wanted to do was help and Levi knew that; otherwise he wouldn’t have let her stay with his omega. 

Ok. This shit needed to stop. _Right fucking now!_

Eren wasn’t his. He didn’t _have_ an omega. And he would never _have_ one. 

He hated, loathed that kind of thinking. Hated his inner alpha for making him think like that. Like that was all an omega was. Some sort of possession. Not a person. A thing that you could own and Levi hated the thought more than anything. He knew that it was a primal, possessive instinct and generally didn’t mean that you only saw the other person as nothing more than a thing. But too many alphas had taken that meaning literally, forced a bond on an omega and treated them like nothing more than a toy or a breeding animal. 

History showed that sorrowful past more than anything: the omega-slavery and prostitution had only been abolished in the late 80s. Until the 70s there had even been something called the ‘omega breeding association’ where they forced omegas into at least 3 fruitful pregnancies before releasing them again. Basically having compatible alphas rape them to get them with child, forcing them to give birth and once they fulfilled ‘their duty’ discarding them like the breeding stock they were. 

_Fucking disgusting._

Levi gritted his teeth, hands clenching into angry fists as the history lesson from high school replayed in his head. And how the teacher had said it: in an almost sad way that this system no longer existed. Only Erwin’s hand on his arm had stopped him from getting up from his seat and punching some sense into the loathesome alpha standing in front of him. 

Alphas were there to protect. To nurture. To help. Those were the prime instincts of alphas, not the distorted version that everyone nowadays believed in. 

He knew that not every alpha was like the version they were trying to brainwash you into, especially not in the younger generation. They started questioning the system, raising the omega issues more and more and Levi couldn’t be prouder of that. 

Still, they had a far way to go unfortunately. 

But _if_ an omega ever chose wanting to bond with him, Levi would make certain that the omega knew exactly how Levi thought. That he wasn’t a possession or a thing. That he was the most precious thing in the whole damn world. That Levi would give anything and everything for him, to make sure he was happy and safe. 

While thinking about the hypothetical future omega that might want to bond with someone like him, the image of the teal-eyed brat popped back up in his head. Eren’s vibrating ocean-green eyes sparkling at him, nuzzling into his hand that was caressing his cheek and giving him the most breathtaking loving smile he had ever seen. 

_Fuck._

His heart clenched fiercely at the image his brain had conjured; thumping steadily as he could almost feel the rush of endorphins being released into his system. 

He had never seen Eren smile, but damn did he want to make the brat smile. If his smile was anything like what his brain made him believe it was like, then it would become his most favorite thing in the world….

Seriously? 

He sounded like a fucking sap. 

Again, what was this shitty brat doing to him? 

He sighed, grabbed his keys and made his way to the campus; trying his damnedest to tune out any thoughts and lingering feelings for the teal-eyed brat that had turned his whole life upside down. 

 

Upon reaching the campus he still had enough time left before having to teach the shitty lesson, so he made his way to the office of a certain someone. 

He needed to know that Eren would be safe when he returned to the campus – without any further incidences - preferably without Mikasa on the premises. 

He knocked on Erwin’s door only to be greeted by a low “Come in, Levi”. Tch. Eyebrows should seriously work as a freaking psychic as a side job. He rolled his eyes but entered the office anyway. 

Erwin was sitting behind his way too large oak table finishing up some paperwork. His bushy eyebrows were as thick as always, resembling the caterpillars he got his nickname from. His blonde hair was parted sideways, his blue piercing eyes focused on the paper in front of him, until he finally raised his head to look at Levi. A small smile crept onto his lips as he greeted him almost… _cheerily_ “Good morning Levi, did you get any sleep at all or did your omega keep you up all night?” 

His gunmetal eyes narrowed at the blonde brute sitting in front of him. _How the fuck?_ “None of your goddamn business, eyebrows.” He said while sitting down in the armchair in front of Erwin, crossing his legs and leaning back with his arms crossed almost challengingly. 

The low chuckle tumbling over Erwin’s lips irritated him only further, glaring at his childhood-friend and daring him to say anything further. “Well then Levi, what can I do for you? I believe you have a class to teach in…” he glanced down at his watch and said “about 45 minutes.”

“Fucking hell, shit-brows. I know. I remember; I don’t have a sinkhole as a brain so stop reminding me. I’m here cause there’s something I want to discuss.” He internally sighed; discussing the whole Mikasa-matter with Erwin was like handing him over the information he needed to pry further into the topic about Eren on a silver platter – but what choice did he have? He _needed_ to make sure Eren would be safe upon returning. 

“Go on, I’m all ears Levi.” – “Tch. I’m pretty sure you already know exactly what happened yesterday on the school grounds, so spare me the interrogation and cut the shit. I wanna know what kind of _measures_ you’re taking towards Mikasa Ackerman.”

Erwin was quiet for a moment; resting his head in his hands and studying him for what seemed like an eternity before he spoke up again “Why are you so keen on knowing what kind of punishment Mikasa receives?”

Leave it to Erwin to always ask the right questions. He stared back, silver orbs meeting blue irises as he contemplated his options. He could try and deceive the tall blond sitting in front of him, but he knew exactly how sharp the other was. It’s not like he couldn’t do it but was it worth the hassle? Then again, that would leave him with only one option: telling him the truth. He would never hear the end of it though – that much he knew. 

Since he didn’t like either option he decided to go with the half-truth “I was the one who had to pull her off the newly presented omega I rescued from almost getting raped in an alley-way mere hours ago, so excuse me for wanting to know the same shit doesn’t happen again.” 

Erwin seemed to consider that for a moment before speaking in a calm low voice “You know that I will take measures to ensure that nothing of the sort will ever happen again on my campus. What she did was vile, trying to force a bond on someone… so she _will_ be punished accordingly. But I can’t help but notice that you take a great interest in what happens to her… it wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain Eren Jaeger now, would it?”

Levi gritted his teeth and involuntarily scratched his scent-gland upon the mention of Eren’s name. The action didn’t go unnoticed by his childhood-friend, whose eyes widened in surprise and he muttered something under his breath. 

“It does.” He admitted reluctantly; his eyes never leaving the blonde’s face “So now fucking tell me what kind of punishment she is receiving.”

Erwin’s smile only grew wider at his admission, his eyes sparkling with an interest that Levi knew only meant trouble. “As such an act is inexcusable for Trost university, Mikasa is suspended for the coming 3 weeks.”  
Gunmetal eyes narrowed at the statement and he was about to retort when Erwin continued in a firm voice that left nothing up for discussion. 

“What she did was horrible. There’s no discussion about that. There were however, factors to be taken into account like the lingering heat pheromones of Eren, her remorse and apparent horror about what she had done, her age and the fact that you _did_ manage to make it in time to stop her from committing a grave mistake. Considering these factors I believe she deserves a second chance here at Trost University, but there won’t be a third. Mikasa Ackerman will be suspended for 3 weeks and she is not to come into close contact with Eren Jaeger for the period of at least two months. After that it is up to Eren to decide if he wants the period to be prolonged or a restraining order to be issued. Mikasa has expressed her sincere condolences and wishes nothing more than to make it up to Eren. The decision is however not hers, but his. Should she not follow the instructions given to her, she will be expelled from the university immediately.”

Levi took a moment to process the information. Erwin’s judgment was fair and as much as his inner alpha was rioting that the punishment wasn’t enough, Levi knew that it was. 3 weeks meant a lot of catching up to do on her end, suspending her for any more than that would inevitably lead to her failing the semester and as much as Levi wanted her punished he knew that obstructing her education was no way to achieve that. 

At least Erwin made sure that she wouldn’t get close to Eren for 2 months. If she dared lay a hand on him after that… well, god help her then. 

Erwin was still studying his reactions intently, so Levi made sure to keep his usual void facial expression on and not let anything slip. He would already be getting chewed out on Friday enough as it is, no need to fuel the fire. 

“So… assuming that you spent the night at the dorm watching over him like a hawk I guess he is still there then?”

Levi concentrated on the link that connected him to Eren for a moment and without thinking answered “No, he just arrived at the Trost hospital to visit Arlert.” 

Erwin’s eyes widened almost comically and he opened his mouth to say something but then thought better of it. 

Only then did Levi realize the mistake he just made and irritatedly started scratching on his scent gland again. _Fuck._ He was pretty sure that Erwin would put two and two together and figure out that Levi could somehow tell where Eren was. After all the blond had already talked to Hanji, so Levi was certain that he knew about the ridiculous theory of them being true mates and all that shit. _Now he truly would never hear the end of it._

Before he could let anything else slip he stood up and was about to leave, but his inner alpha flared up again; his scent spiking with the promise of protection and before he knew what he was saying the words were already out of his mouth “You better make sure she stays the fuck away from him… or I will.”

With that he was out of the door, marching down the hallways back to his office. 

…

 _Had he seriously just said that?_ This shitty brat would be the end of him one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea with the omega breeding association stems from another FF called 'The omega breeding association' - credit for the idea goes to writingboutfanfic - the author of that FF. I thought that something like that would fit well with the historical context Levi was giving in this chapter - also explaining his hatred for the current system. 
> 
> If there are more mistakes in this chapter I apologize, i just wanted to post it as quickly as possible. I hope you guys still enjoyed the chapter :)


	11. First impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all I want to thank all of you again. All the comments, kudos and the positive feedback for this work make me so insanely happy. I can't believe people actually genuinely like my writing, so hearing you guys say you like it has me elated. You guys are my muses and motivate me to write the chapters as quickly as i can. Huge thanks for all the support!! <3 <3 
> 
> So here it is: 9k Eren POV at it's hopefully finest XD Do let me know what you think~

Eren managed to tune out the incessant babbling of his professor fairly well; especially considering how high-pitched her voice got whenever she talked about something she was particularly interested in. 

Thankfully she left the topic of him presenting or the entire past 24 hours alone and instead starting rambling on about random things. Eren's mind however, didn't manage to avoid the subject quite so well. 

There were so many emotions swirling around inside of him: how he should feel about being an omega; how he should deal with Mikasa from now on; how his best friend was doing and most importantly: how he should feel about a certain raven-haired alpha that took his world by storm. 

Never would he have imagined feeling something other than distaste or hate for an alpha and now he was faced with a whirlwind of emotion tearing through his body whenever he thought about Levi. He sighed. Was it really all just his inner omega telling him a compatible alpha was nearby? 

After all he knew too well how dynamics worked – majoring in them under the guidance of Hanji. So as much as he wanted to blame it all on his inner omega, he couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards the raven that had saved his sorry ass not just once, but three times now; counting his rather embarrassing panic attack this morning. 

And how Levi had saved him made all the difference. Remembering the tenderness Levi had treated him with warmed his heart; his cheeks reddening ever so softly at the memory. The usually stern and cold expression had turned into one full of worry and concern when he had held him close in his strong arms. And oh, how the primal part of him wanted to believe nothing more than the fear and panic reflected in Levi's silver orbs this morning being more than just the fear of losing any random person. How he hoped it was the fear of losing _him_. 

The omega in him so desperately wanted to believe that the alpha looked at him as more than just another omega he had saved, so every time Eren tried to counter with being rational and telling himself that Levi most likely just regarded him as the brat he kept telling him he was, his omega stubbornly decided to replay the image and feeling of having Levi's lips on his forehead. 

_'Not just a brat. **His** brat.'_ The voice inside of him insisted. 

Eren's cheek reddened with renewed vigor remembering the tender kiss Levi had given him. He still wasn't entirely convinced that the raven knew what he had been doing; given how surprised he had seemed with his own actions. But he didn't push Eren away after that, more like the opposite: he wanted to stay with him; having a hard time even leaving the room. Truth being told, Eren's omega hadn't made it easy for him; staring doe-eyed at the raven and giving off a scent that was clearly telling him to stay. 

But Levi _had_ left, and it left Eren feeling empty. The only thing that kept his omega from going crazy with need for the alpha was the fact that he hadn't taken a shower; so Levi's scent still lingered on him; enveloping him from time to time and making him feel safe and protected. 

He never thought that he would be reduced to a needy, whiny mess and realizing that it was his secondary gender doing that to him made him dislike his omega even more. Eren had always stood up for omega rights and fought tirelessly to protect Armin from anyone trying to bully or hit on him. He hated how the other shitty alphas looked at his best friend like he was nothing more than a quick, satisfying fuck. And now they would look at him in the same way. He shuddered at the thought, not wanting to spin it any further. 

Grisha's constant abuse already had him question why he was so weak and why he couldn't properly fight back when all he did when it came to Armin was fight with teeth and nails to protect his best friend. He always blamed it on lingering feelings for his father but now with presenting as an omega he felt weak and vulnerable in a whole new and different kind of way. 

He clenched his arms around his body and held himself tightly at the thought of yesterday's incidences repeating themselves. What if Levi wasn't there to save him the next time? What if next time he was raped and left used in a dark alley-way… or even worse… bonded against his will? 

Tears threatened to spill over his cheeks again as he remembered how weak and useless he was without anyone's help. His omega whimpered and as if feeling Eren's turmoil tried to reach out to him and console him. Almost like a cat sensing its owner's distress; coiling its tail around Eren's leg and nuzzling into his chest in apology. 

He was more than surprised by the sudden action of his inner omega, he could tell that it felt guilty for putting him into that situation in the first place – heat and all; and strangely enough Eren _did_ feel comforted by his inner beast. Well calling it a beast would be an exaggeration he guessed. More like a needy unpredictable wild cat. 

For a moment he allowed himself to take comfort in his inner omega and it helped. It reminded him of the fact that if he wasn't in heat then the alphas would most likely leave him alone. If he wasn't in heat, then yesterday's nightmare wouldn't repeat itself. After all, other omega's lived their lives peacefully as well right? Without constant fear of getting raped or abused. So that meant that he could be like that too right? Have a peaceful life without alphas trying to force themselves on him around every corner. 

_'And if they try we'll show them our strength.'_ His omega half hissed and half purred; content now that Eren seemed to be feeling slightly better. _'No-one but our alpha touches us'_ and with that it made the image of Levi pop back up in his head – and unfortunately for Eren not just _any_ image. His cheeks flushed bright crimson at the memory of the more than loving look Levi had given him this morning before placing said kiss on his forehead. 

He shook his head slightly, trying not to make it too obvious to his professor still sitting next to him that he was having an inner dialogue with his omega over Levi. And fuck did this all feel weird. Like some stupid parody of Lord of the rings – all that was missing was Eren's omega calling Levi 'my precious'. 

_'My preciouuuuuuuuus'_ the voice of his inner omega echoed through his mind and Eren jumped in his seat. What the fu-? The next thing he heard was soft laughter, his omega clearly more than amused with Eren's reaction. Had he thought that 'out loud'? Fuck he must have. 

His omega just smirked at him and then proceeded to lick its paws innocently – or at least that's the mental image Eren got. 

Well at least the bastard had a sense of humor, Eren thought grimly; vowing to conceal his innermost thoughts from the omega from now on. Getting used to all the antics of his secondary gender was definitely going to take some time... How did Armin even deal with this shit on a daily basis? 

Before his jumbled thoughts could derail even further Hanji enthusiastically announced that they had arrived at the hospital. And with that there was only one thing Eren's mind could focus on: _Armin._

His best friend that had stood up for him, that had tried to protect him and had suffered greatly in doing so. Guilt and dread wretched through his body at the memory of Armin's limp body laying sprawled under the wall of the infirmary.

Hanji had ensured him that his best friend was fine but until Eren saw him with his own eyes he couldn't help but feel distressed and worried. So many _'what ifs'_ were racing through his head, making his body freeze with the sudden fear of Armin not wanting to have anything to do with him after yesterday's fiasco. 

He hiccupped loudly and before he knew it, there was a gentle hand on his arm, rubbing soothing circles into it. His professor smiled warmly at him and with one sentence all his worries were blown away "Let's go see our blonde little friend; he insisted on seeing you first thing in the morning and we don't want to disappoint him now, do we?"

Eren exhaled a shaky breath but managed a small smile and a weak "Thank you" before getting out of the car. 

 

The walk down the hospital hallway was rather nerve-wrecking; not just because Armin was lying here injured – but also out of fear of running into a certain someone. Eren tried his best to look inconspicuous but he didn't fail to see Hanji's raised eyebrows at his behavior. He couldn't care less though and heaved out a sigh of relief upon reaching Armin's door. 

He managed to avoid Grisha. 

For now, he thought bitterly. Just because he managed to get into the dormitory didn't mean that his father didn't know where he studied. Levi had been kind enough to organize the movers to bring his stuff into the dorm, so he could avoid going back to the house that long ceased to be his home. He knew however, that Grisha would find him sooner or later. 

He didn't want to face the new-found hatred Grisha would have for him upon finding out that he was _even more_ like his mother than either of them had anticipated - him being an omega like her and all. Eren didn't want to think about the beating he would take when Grisha found out what he presented as. 

His ‘father’ wouldn't act up in his work environment, though – _that_ Eren was certain of. After all, he didn't want to ruin the carefully crafted image and reputation he had built over the years. He could however, force Eren to come back home with him - and that's what Eren dreaded the most; especially considering the very likely chance of running into the movers Levi had organized. He'd much rather Grisha found out about him moving out after it had all happened. 

But why _did_ Levi organize those movers though? Going so far as to even help him get into the dormitory… Anyone else would have brought him back home straight away upon presenting as an omega… but instead Levi had carried him all the way to Armin's omega/beta dormitory… That left Eren with only one question racing through his mind… _why?_

He couldn't possibly know what was going on at his parent's place now could he?

Before he could ponder over the question further, he felt quite a forceful push in his back; Hanji urging him to enter the room rather hurriedly. 

His brows furrowed in confusion. Why was she suddenly so keen on him entering the room? 

He was about to turn around and express his bewilderment when he suddenly heard an all too familiar voice coming around the corner, addressing a nurse in scorn and reprimanding her for not doing her job properly. 

His body acted on instinct, not having to be told twice before he straight up barged into Armin's room. 

Grisha. 

He panted heavily as Hanji gingerly closed the door behind them, standing almost protectively in front of it. Eren hugged his body tightly, anxiety freezing him up immediately; stronger than he ever felt it before. His omega whining fearfully - not helping him with calming down at all. He barely even registered Armin's worried "Eren?", too preoccupied with trying _not_ to have another panic attack. 

His breathing got more and more ragged, his throat already feeling constricted again, before he finally decided to listen to his instincts and rubbed his wrist to his neck fervently; effectively transmitting the mixed scent of both Levi and him to his wrist and then breathing the satisfying smell in needily. The sweet aroma of pine and sandalwood blended together heavenly with his own vanilla and tea-like scent – for Eren had never managed to find out what exact kind of flavor of tea he smelled like. The smell washed over him and before he knew it he caught another glimpse of the lovely green meadow before returning back to the sterile hospital room Armin was currently occupying. 

Strong hands steadied him into sitting down in a chair next to Armin's bed; his mind still needing a moment to fully comprehend that he was safe for the time being. 

"Eren? What's going on? Are you ok?" Armin's worried voice finally brought him back to reality.

He stared at the blonde in shock. His friend's head was tightly wrapped in a multitude of bandages, his body looked more fragile than ever and a sudden rage filled Eren at the thought that _**this**_ was Mikasa's doing. 

Finally he found his voice again and stuttered a weak "That should me _my_ line, Ar." 

Armin seemed to visibly relax at his retort but threw him a worried glance nonetheless.

Eren was still trying to calm himself down, confused as to why he had such a strong reaction to the possibility of running into his father here at the hospital. Going back ‘home’, facing Grisha and receiving a beating were everyday occurrences for him; it being the regular norm… so why was he responding like this? _Why was he so scared?_ Was it because he had presented as an omega? 

“I’m fine Eren… _Are you?_ ” 

Eren looked up into the bandaged face of his best friend and suddenly he felt like he could no longer lie to him. Not after everything Armin had done for him. Not after everything he had put him through… and why was he keeping it a secret in the first place? Because it made him look weak? Well… that ship has sailed after yesterday, so did it truly matter now? And if the blonde was still willing to be his friend after everything that happened with Mikasa then he wouldn’t care right? 

Armin deserved to know. 

He glanced over at Hanji and wondered for a second why she was standing next to the door in an almost… _protective_ manner….

His eyes narrowed at his next thought. Did she know? 

Eren pondered over the question for a second. She _had_ almost pushed him into the door upon hearing Grisha’s voice. If she hadn’t known then she wouldn’t have had a reason to do that; she would have been more inclined to greet him and present herself as his professor. But Hanji had done none of that, had acted completely out of the ordinary just like Levi had with organizing the movers... 

And then it dawned on him. 

_Levi must know too._

He must have seen the bruises littered over his body when he had picked him up in the alley-way. He must have put two and two together when Eren had refused to be brought home yesterday; when he had wailed and screamed fearfully not to be put in that house so soon after having presented. 

Levi knew. And so did Hanji. 

He didn’t know how he should feel about the raven knowing but that was something he would worry about later. Now he had to tell Armin. 

He sighed and locked eyes with Armin’s ocean-blue irises… where should he even begin? 

“Ar…” his voice was low and heavy, thick with fear and sadness but he forced the words out anyway “I’m… I’m afraid… of … of running into Grisha after having presented as an… as an omega.”

It took all he had to admit the fear that was still running rampant within his body. He didn’t want to admit that he was afraid; it made him feel even weaker and more vulnerable than he already was. And he didn’t want to give that gratification to Grisha of all people.

“Oh Eren… Your mother was an omega too, right? So I’m sure he won’t be prejudiced against you. Why don’t you just try and talk to him? I’m sure it will be fine.”

Eren winced at his friend's words and lowered his gaze, fumbling around with his hands nervously, but after a moment steeled his resolve to bring his point across as best as he could. His dad would _never_ accept him for who he was. Not after what he had done to their family. Not after he had ripped them apart… 

With a voice barely even above a whisper he said “He won’t, Armin. He will never accept me…” tears threatened to spill over his cheeks as he continued “He still blames me for her death… and makes sure that I know and remember that _every day._ ” 

He hiccupped but forced himself to look up. The shock was evident in Armin’s bright blue eyes before overwhelming sadness took root in them; his voice stuttering and faltering when he murmured his next question – the one Eren knew he was bound to ask “w-what… do you m-mean Eren?” 

He didn’t feel like he could put it into words, so instead he just stood up and lifted his shirt to reveal all the purple and green bruises that were littered over his entire torso. 

“Oh Eren…” He could tell by his strangled voice that Armin was on the verge of tears, his voice dripping with concern and sorrow. He slowly pulled his shirt back down and decided to settle down at the edge of Armin’s bed rather than the armchair he had just been sitting on. 

The blonde immediately pulled him into a tight hug, pressing his face into his neck and mumbling apology after apology. He could feel the wetness of Armin’s tears on his shirt, his small body shaking with grief and heartache and Eren felt his own tears well in his eyes. He clutched Armin closely to him, careful of not injuring him or putting pressure on his head and then… he let himself go. 

He didn’t know how long they had been holding onto each other, crying tear after tear but Eren had never felt more relaxed and _free_ then after having confided in his best friend. He didn’t have to hide anymore. Not in front of Armin. The blonde was there for him, would help him through it all and would still be his friend. 

With a small hiccup he pulled Armin slightly away from him and stuttered “I-I’m so sorry for not telling you Ar. I just… couldn’t. I d-don’t know. I didn’t… want any- anyone to know.”

“Shhhh, it’s ok Eren. I’m sorry for not noticing. And… I’m sorry for suggesting you talk to him…” - “It’s ok Ar, you couldn’t have known. I didn't want anyone to know so yeah…”

There was a slight pause before Armin’s eyes widened frantically “Oh god… Eren. You can’t go back! No! I can’t let you go back to him! Stay with me at the dorm please... Please... I don’t want you to get hurt again…”

Armin had clutched onto his shirt and Eren could see the tears forming in his eyes again. Before he could even get the words out of his mouth to reassure his best friend that he would be fine, Hanji decided to chime in from the corner “Oh no worries coconut! Levi already took care of that. Eren won’t be staying with his father any longer.” Her voice went higher and higher as she spoke; the excitement clearly audible as she continued “Oh you should have seen his face when he realized why you didn’t want to go back home Eren… I’ve never seen him so angry before, he looked absolutely _murderous._ ” 

Eren wondered with his brows slightly furrowed how she could be so elated at the thought of Levi looking like he wanted to kill someone, but then he heard his inner omega purring happily and full of pride at the idea of Levi wanting to protect him. ‘Dynamics are fucking strange sometimes’ he thought, scolding his inner omega for feeling that way about someone potentially getting hurt. 

But Hanji interrupted his thoughts once again, almost pleadingly screaming this time “Ah! How I want to study the both of youuu. Please let me study your bond Eren. True mates are so rare… it’s a once in a lifetime chance… Pleeeeease~” 

He stared at his professor incredulously. Did she really just say all of this in front of Armin?! 

“Eren? What does she mean? Where will you be staying? And what’s this about true mates?”

Armin was bombarding him with questions and Eren didn’t really know how to answer – especially the last one. He didn’t really want to think about the whole ‘true mate’ theory of Hanji. He hadn’t even begin to process everything that involved Levi; how he had saved him… how he had held him in his strong arms… how his scent was more intoxicating and soothing than anything Eren had ever smelled before and how it made him feel safe and at home. How he had protected him from Mikasa… cradled him in his arms and brought him to a safe place… No he couldn’t think about any of that right now. _It was too much._

So instead he opted for answering the questions he _could_ answer. 

“Uhm… so Levi, uh I mean professor Ackerman helped me with getting a room at your dormitory. It’s actually the one right next to yours…” he ended up smiling at the last part he said and sincerely hoped that Armin wouldn’t probe any further. 

“Oh my god!! Eren that’s awesome! I can’t believe it. We’re going to be neighbors again! How did he even pull that off in the middle of the semester?” 

“I don’t know Ar, but I’m incredibly grateful. I have to thank him properly afterwards…”

He heard a small giggle from where Hanji was standing “Oh, I’m sure he would like that _very_ much Eren. Do tell me how it went afterwards please.”

At that Eren just rolled his eyes. He was beginning to understand why Levi was treating her the way he did… “So what’s this about being true mates? Does she mean with professor Ackerman, Eren?”

He flinched again, averting his gaze from meeting Armin’s, not wanting the other to see the slight blush that was creeping onto his cheeks. For once he was glad when Hanji answered in his stead “It’s my theory Armin. The two of them seem almost unable to resist each other’s scent. It seems to be soothing and as if a missing piece fell into place for the both of them when they met and scent-marked each other.” 

At that Eren couldn’t help but frown. Sure he had felt like that, but there was no way his alpha had felt that too right? _‘The alpha’_ he meant. 

Hanji continued unfazed, her voice shaking with excitement “Only Levi was able to soothe Eren when he was having a panic attack this morning and just now Eren spread their combined scent to his wrists to calm down. They both seem to feel relaxed around each other, and I’ve never seen Levi act as much on his instincts as he does when it concerns Eren. And that’s saying something! Also, a little birdy told me something about there potentially being a mental connection of some sort.” 

With that she turned towards Eren and continued “So Eren, do you feel something? Anything at all? Oh! Uuuuuh, can you hear Levi’s thoughts? I always wanted to know what’s going on in grumpy’s head!” 

_Wait what?!_

He was supposed to have a _mental connection_ with Levi?! 

No. No fucking way, there was no such thing right? He didn’t feel anything at all. That just proved that Hanji’s theory was nothing more than bullshit. No way was Levi his true mate. That was just too good to be true… 

Did he actually just think that? He hadn’t been influenced by his omega to say that, so did that mean that he -… no just no! He wasn’t going there. _‘Levi. Is. Not. My. Alpha.’_ He thought frustratedly and to his surprise almost bitterly. 

That however seemed to wake his inner omega again, who all but hissed at him _‘You haven’t even tried looking for a connection, so why are you denying what’s freaking obvious?!’_

Eren blinked. What did his omega mean? There was nothing to see, nothing there, so why should he waste his time looking for something that didn’t exist? _‘Tch. Open your freaking eyes, idiot!’_ With that his omega all but pounced of his lap and started playing with a thread that appeared out of nowhere.

Eren looked at it warily. The red thread bounced in front of his eyes as his omega continued trying to entangle itself into the cord. He didn’t trust this fully - the freaking thing appeared out of thin air for crying out loud! 

Then he looked down at himself and realized that one end was connected to him! What the fuck?

He tugged at the string lightly, only to see the thread vibrating lightly under his fingers. His eyes followed the cord that seemed to connect into nothingness, but still Eren had the feeling that it was connected to something… or rather… _someone._

 _‘Just focus on him already!’_ his omega hissed, clearly losing its patience with him. 

Eren didn’t really know why he was doing as he was told, but somehow he felt compelled to close his eyes and focus his entire being on Levi. Levi’s silver orbs that had followed him into his dreams, Levi’s warm and gentle hands that had cupped his face lightly, Levi’s musky scent of sandalwood and pine… and suddenly he felt an incredibly strong pull in one direction. 

He gasped. Eyes shooting open instantaneously, as he found himself once again grounded in Armin’s hospital room. But the tugging was unrelenting. There was no mental connection, but Eren knew that the pull he felt would - if followed - undoubtedly lead him to the raven. 

“So? So? So? Eren, don’t torture us! Do you feel something?” Hanji whined. 

“N-no… I don’t feel anything at all” he lied and watched as Hanji’s face fell. He felt a tinge of guilt running through him, but he just couldn’t deal with all of this right now. 

He noticed Armin’s raised eyebrow and realized that his best friend must know that he was lying. Fuck, why did he have to be so damn obvious? 

“Oh well, maybe you’re just not feeling it right now because everything is all jumbled and messed up because you presented so late. I won’t give up though. I’m sure you will feel it eventually Eren! Oh how exciting that will be~” Hanji trailed off, mumbling things to herself as Eren let out the breath he hadn’t even realized he had been holding. 

He threw Armin a quick look telling him through narrowed eyes not to dare say anything before he turned around to face his professor “Hanji… could you give us a moment please?” – “Oh yeah, sure! I’ll grab us some breakfast in the cafeteria. Be right baaaack” she sing sang before almost skipping out of the door. 

Eren all but slumped down into the armchair, put his face into his hands and sighed heavily. 

Not only did he have to deal with the fact that he just presented as an omega, now he also had to come to terms with the possibility of Hanji’s theory _actually being right?_

As if on cue, he felt the tugging intensify. Eren tried his best to ignore it; attempting to tune out towards _whom_ exactly it was pointing him to, but the more he tried to disregard the pull towards what he could only guess was the direction of Trost university, the stronger it got. Now that he was aware of it, ignoring it was really fucking hard. His omega all but urged him to pursue the raven; to go to his side, to find him, to talk to him, to make him like him, to seduce him and make him his. 

_Seduce?!_ Ok seriously. What the actual fuck. Like. Just what?!

“Ar, seriously how do you deal with this shit?” he asked exasperated at the shenanigans of his inner omega.

“Your omega you mean?” – “Yeah, like it just made me think that I wanted to _seduce_ someone. Seduce Armin! Do you even hear that? _Me. Seducing someone._ And an alpha to boot!” 

Armin didn’t stop his rambling, eyes growing wider with each passing sentence but knowing all too well not to interrupt, for once Eren started going he wasn’t easy to stop. 

“Okey not just _any_ alpha. He’s not like any of those shitty douchebags we’ve met. He’s completely different; I mean he saved me like 3 times already now. And he’s been nothing but kind. And gentle. And sweet but still, Armin. An alpha!! Do you know how ridiculous that is???”

He was too lost in his ranting to see Armin’s now clearly gaping mouth and comically wide eyes. Completely oblivious to his best friend’s surprise he just continued “It has me all submissive Armin, like I’m some weak _thing_ that needs constant protection. Like I can’t even take care of myself. Like what is this shit? It is so frustrating. I’m more than my dynamic and I’m not weak. And then there’s this strange pull directing me towards Levi and all it wants to do is make me follow it. Like how do you control this? How do you make it stop?!”

He punctuated his last question by finally looking at Armin’s face only to find the most stupefied, hilariously shocked expression he had ever seen on his best friend. If he hadn’t been feeling so frustrated with the entire situation he would have burst out laughing, but the whole ordeal with his omega and Levi just made him scowl at Armin who after a second of gathering his thoughts actually started chuckling. _Chuckling. ___

Eren growled in response. This wasn’t funny. And hearing his friend laugh at him made him even more resentful and bitter towards the he mess he was in. Why him? Why did it have to be him? Why did his body betray him and decided he ought to be an omega? Why couldn’t it have been someone else?

 _‘Then you wouldn’t have met our alpha’_ his inner omega countered almost offended at Eren’s thought-process. 

Well yeah, he wouldn’t have met Levi but so wha- _‘don’t you dare even think that!’_ his omega hissed angrily. _‘You and me both know how much of a lie that is!’_ and with that Eren felt like it had turned its back on him and stalked away, fuming. 

“Well… for starters…” Armin interrupted him from sullenly staring after his omega and blinking perplexedly he found his own green orbs meeting Armin’s tinkling blue ones again “you should try and earn its trust. Your omega is the voice of your instincts – and while we don’t want to be reduced to or reigned over by them, we do want their advice sometimes. Our instincts help us in making our decisions and it’s important to listen to them and hear what they have to say. For that your omega needs to know that you will heed its words and consider what it thinks and not suppress it blindly.” 

Armin’s voice was gentle but had a severity to it that made it hard to question. Still, Eren couldn’t help but feel frustrated and angry at the antics of his secondary gender that did nothing for him than make him look fragile and powerless. “I don’t want its help! All this shitty secondary gender has done to me so far is almost getting me raped by strangers and bonded against my will! How was that helpful Armin, hm? It led to you sitting in this hospital bed with a freaking concussion for god’s sake!” 

Eren couldn’t help himself; he let his resentment and frustration seep into his words and with each sentence his voice rang louder and louder. “You’re talking about a decision-making process – I wasn’t asked to be an omega and it certainly wasn’t my decision to be one!! And where exactly was I part of a decision yesterday? I wasn’t! I was lost to my instincts; lost to my inner omega and I couldn’t even think clearly! So why should _I_ earn _its_ trust – if anything, _it_ should earn _mine_ first!” 

He huffed, catching his breath after almost yelling the last part. He hadn’t meant to do so but the entire circumstances were just … _fucked up._

“Trust me Eren, I understand. Better than anyone. I know it’s unfair and messed up, and I know that you’re asking yourself why you. And I can’t even begin to imagine how hard and weird this must all be for you. I mean I presented when I was 14 and I had years to come to terms with my omega and the idea of being one. You on the other hand believed your whole life that you were a beta and now your world is turned upside down…. So I understand that this is all too much for you right now. But believe me when I tell you that your circumstances were far from normal…” 

Eren grunted. “Far from normal my ass” he muttered under his breath. 

Armin sighed, gave him an apologetic look but then continued “The first heat is normally only triggered in a safe and comfortable environment for the omega – yours was probably forcefully initiated since your whole body kept fighting against itself to present. I don’t really know to why that is, but it led to where you are now…” 

Eren shuddered. Dark memories flashed through his mind while Armin was speaking. The immense heat he had felt, his rationale leaving him with every second that he had been lying in that dark alleyway. The emptiness he had felt deep inside of him, the desperate need and uncontrollable desire to be sated, filled, and stuffed to the brim with an alpha’s length. 

He almost gagged at the memory. 

“But remember” Armin said “I’m living a normal life. I’m taking my suppressants regularly and luckily I’ve never had to experience any encounters like you had. Yeah there are shitty douchebag alphas – but you were always by my side to help me. And outside of a heat our instincts don’t cloud our judgment or make us weak – we are just our normal selves.” 

__The whole thing was still freaking bizarre to him. He didn’t know if he could simply accept the fact that he was an omega but perhaps he could learn to live with it. Like Armin said, his entire world-view and self-image were turned upside down and now all he could do was trying adapting to the new circumstances._ _

__“It’s just so much to deal with Ar… like accepting the fact that I am an omega is _really_ freaking hard and surreal. I don’t know how to deal with having another voice inside of my head talking to me… like my thoughts are my only sanctuary and now it’s being occupied by my instincts? Like- ” - “Wait what? You can hear your omega already?” Armin’s startled voice interrupted him. _ _

__“Uhm, yeah why? Is that abnormal _again?!__ _

__He was getting frustrated with being an anomaly. First presenting so late, then the weird pull he felt towards Levi and to top it all off potentially being one of the two halves of a pair of fated true mates. He had enough on his plate already; he couldn’t take much more than that._ _

__“No, I wouldn’t say that. Usually our omega’s only start voicing themselves after years of getting attuned to us, and normally only during our heat when our instincts are at their strongest. Also they don’t do it very often and prefer to communicate through feelings and emotions; they only do it when they really wanna get a point across or have something to say and feel like we’re not listening. It’s not something that us omegas openly talk about since it makes us look… well… kind of like we have a personality disorder…”_ _

__Armin had lowered his voice at the last part, clearly not feeling entirely comfortable talking about the subject. “But, you know I think part of the reason why you’re still hearing your omega might be because technically without the suppressants your body would still be in heat. Your heat was fully triggered after all. Or maybe it’s because of Levi and it still being here because you haven’t followed the pull you said you’re feeling towards your mate?”_ _

__Eren sighed. What Armin said did make some sense. His omega had only started talking when it was too frustrated and fed up with him - or to tease him. So at least he didn’t have to constantly worry about hiding his thoughts if what Armin said was true. He would only have to deal with his moody inner cat during his heats – and that was only every 2 years._ _

__Like hell he would have a heat out of his own free will. He didn’t even have to think about it; already having decided that he would suppress them; only having the mandatory heat the doctors prescribed the omegas out of safety reasons for their bodies and to diminish the side effects from taking the same suppressants for more than 2 years._ _

__But if Armin was indeed right, then that would mean that as long as he didn’t act on his instincts telling him to get close to Levi and make him his mate, his omega would still be there, not leaving his side; pestering him to listen to it._ _

__And that was the last thing Eren wanted._ _

__He never wanted a mate and now he was never to have his peace unless he accepted what his instincts were forcefully urging him to do? No way. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to like someone only because his instincts told him they were compatible. True mates or not. He refused to choose a person based on the compatibility of their secondary genders._ _

__If anything he wanted to get to know Levi. The person. Not the alpha. He couldn’t care less about the alpha inside of him._ _

__“So uhm, Eren… I know it’s a delicate subject… but I can’t help but be curious… about this pull you’re feeling… what’s it like?”_ _

__Eren hadn’t even realized he had been staring into the distance, oblivious to the fidgeting blonde in front of him. His gaze followed the outline of the bandages wrapped tightly around Armin’s head before looking into the pools of ocean-blue in front of him._ _

__“I don’t know Ar. It’s really weird. Like this constant, unrelenting tugging. And it’s pointing me into the direction of Levi. At least that’s what I think it’s pointing to….” He sighed and looked down at his hands “I only noticed the pull when my omega told me to focus on him. And I have this strange feeling that if I wanted to find him it would tell me exactly where he is right now…”_ _

__“Well… I know you don’t want to hear it, but it sounds to me like Hanji’s theory might not be so off after all…” Armin said quietly._ _

__“I know. But I don’t want to be with someone just because our instincts tell us to do so…”_ _

__Eren knew that he needed time - time to digest everything that had happened to him. Accepting being an omega still seemed far off the table for now. Rationally speaking he knew that with him presenting so late there had bound to be some troubles, and seemingly his body hadn’t expected the repercussions it would face for forcing him into heat on the way to university. But the emotional part of him still at least partially blamed his omega for the whole nightmare._ _

__But he didn’t want to think about it now. So instead he looked up at Armin and asked “How are you _really_ feeling Armin? I mean… you got hurt because of me a-and… I’m so terribly sorry for that… and I… I… don’t even know how to ever make it up to you… You ended up in a hospital because of me…”_ _

__He didn’t dare look up, his voice trailing lower and lower until it was nothing more than a whisper. His innermost fears voiced in a hushed tone as the courage to ask faded. His hands were lightly trembling, anxious of being rejected, abandoned by his best friend that had every right to do so._ _

__Instead Armin did the exact opposite._ _

__He pulled Eren into another tight hug and slowly, punctuating every word he said “Don’t. You. Ever. Dare. Blame. Yourself. For. This!”_ _

__He pulled back a bit to stare into Eren’s eyes, a fire burning in the sapphire orbs that promised malevolence if Eren even so much as dared to object. “Do you hear me Eren? None of this is your fault. I decided to interfere and stand between an alpha lost to her instincts and the subject of her desire. It was my conscious decision to do so, knowing full well what could happen. “_ _

__His expression pained at his next words and he stared at a spot on the wall as he continued “I thought that perhaps… you know… it was Mikasa… that perhaps she would come to her senses… with it being us… but unfortunately I was wrong… I’m just really glad that you are alright and she didn’t force herself on you.”_ _

__Eren swallowed loudly._ _

__Armin didn’t know what happened after she knocked him unconscious._ _

__“How did you get her to calm down Eren? She seemed so lost to her instincts…”_ _

__“I didn’t” Eren said with a voice as cold as ice._ _

__He couldn’t help the anger that starting bubbling up in his chest again at the memory of what Mikasa had done. Nothing justified her acting the way she did. She hurt Armin, willingly at that. And she almost force-bonded him for life! He didn’t know and didn’t care if the whole room still smelled of a ripe omega in heat – which he was sure it didn’t – he would never forgive her for what she had done. _Never.__ _

__Prompted by Armin’s obviously confused expression, he continued “She _did_ force herself on me Ar… she almost… almost force-bonded me against my will…” He said between gritted teeth. “And I couldn’t do anything about it. Just lie there helplessly as she pinned me down…” _ _

__“No. No way. It’s Mikasa. She would never… she knows how you feel about alphas and mates, she just… she would-“ – “ _But she did._ I can still feel her teeth scraping over my scent gland and it’s the most disgusting feeling ever Armin! And if Levi hadn’t come and saved me, I would be bonded to her for life now!!”_ _

__Armin’s face fell when he realized that Eren was telling the truth. He looked so incredibly hurt and sorrowful that Eren felt like he was looking at a reflection of himself in a mirror. The blonde must have realized that not only had their supposedly good friend hurt him but also almost condemned Eren for life. As an omega, his best friend must understand all too well what that meant._ _

__“I can’t believe it. I just… Forcing a bond on someone is the vilest thing an alpha could do. An omega can’t break the bond… you would have been condemned to stay at her side for the rest of your life – unless she herself broke it. Which is excruciating for every omega… Oh my god. Eren I’m so sorry… It- it’s my fault… She must have followed me to the infirmary… If I had been more careful…”_ _

__“Remember what you told me a few minutes ago Ar? None of this is your fault. You only came to help, you couldn’t have known that she would do that so-“ – “It’s Mikasa! And it was about you! Of course I should’ve known that she would do something like that!!” Armin’s shrill and clearly upset voice interrupted him._ _

__“No. No Ar, you couldn’t have. You even stood up for me! Stood between us trying to protect me! You’ve done more than I deserve… and the only one at fault here is Mikasa. She… she.. I…” he didn’t know how to put his feelings into words, stumbling over them trying to form a sentence. It took a moment before he could speak again, trying to force the vivid memories of yesterday into the back of his mind. He didn’t want to think about Mikasa but one thing Eren was certain of: “I don’t ever want to see her face again, Ar. Not after this.”_ _

__Armin just quietly nodded, processing the information wordlessly._ _

__They were silently staring at each other for a while, each lost in their own thoughts, when suddenly the door was opened and in burst an exhilarated Hanji. “Look at who I found in the hallways!! Erwin, come on in. I have enough breakfast for all of us!” she chimed before pulling a tall broad-shouldered man into the room._ _

___Erwin._ _ _

__He didn’t have to think twice about where he had heard the name before, his omega reminding him instantly by internally hissing at the name. Levi’s _‘friend’._ _ _

__Erwin certainly was a presence in the room, his muscled body literally screaming alpha all over the place. His blonde hair was parted in the middle, the sideburns having a slightly darker hue of blond almost going into muddy brown. His eyes vibrated with a piercing dark blue as they took in the hospital room he had just entered. But all of that was nothing in comparison to the most prominent feature of his face._ _

__Eren had to try his hardest not to snort at the sight, now clearly understanding to why Levi called the guy ‘shitty eyebrows’. What a fitting nickname for the brown bushy caterpillar-like entities on the blonde’s forehead. They were _ginormous._ _ _

__Erwin’s eyes scanned over both of them quickly, landing on Armin first; examining his best friend from a distance almost as if assessing the damage that had been done. His cobalt-blue eyes narrowed as he saw the bandages, his brows furrowing and his mouth twisting in disgust.  
Was he upset with Armin having been hurt? It almost looked that way to Eren, but then again he didn’t know the guy. For all he knew he could be thinking something completely different. _ _

__Then it dawned on him that Erwin was actually friends with both Levi and Hanji and he highly doubted that Levi would befriend any random alpha-asshole. So the guy must at least be a remotely decent human being._ _

__He watched as sapphire eyes met with cobalt blue and a small miniscule smile crept onto the corners of Erwin’s mouth. “Good morning Armin, Eren.” He glanced over to Eren upon greeting him, before his eyes darted back to Armin. “I’m Erwin Smith, director of Trost university. First of all, please let me voice my sincerest apologies for the horrible incidence that occurred to the both of you yesterday.”_ _

__He slightly stepped forward and stretched out his hand for a handshake. To Eren’s surprise Armin took it without hesitation and he watched the smile on Erwin’s face grew wider. Then it was his turn. Warily, and not without having to overcome the reluctance of his inner omega, he took the blonde’s hand._ _

__The handshake was firm, but it was the knowing twinkle he saw in Erwin’s eyes that had a shiver run down Eren’s spine._ _

__The taller man stepped back to give both of them some space before he continued in a low steady tone “What happened to both of you is inexcusable. As someone that promotes gender equality – no matter if primary or secondary – it pains me to hear that something like that happened on my campus. Please know that I will try my hardest to ensure that no such incidence will ever occur again.”_ _

__Eren was almost surprised by the sincerity he heard in Erwin’s voice. He could tell that the blonde meant every word he said, and hearing that the director of their university fought for gender equality let a wave of relief wash over Eren._ _

__“I would like to discuss something with the both of you however.” Erwin’s stance shifted to a more serious position as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I would like you both to know that Mikasa Ackerman has been suspended for the coming 3 weeks and she is not to come into contact with either of you for at least the next 2 months. If you wish to do so, the period will be prolonged after the initial two months or you can go as far as issue a restraining order against her. Please know that you have my and the university’s full support behind either decision you take.”_ _

__Eren inhaled sharply._ _

__He wouldn’t have to face Mikasa - not in the next 3 weeks and hopefully never again. But knowing her the way he did, the ban on her getting close to him would most likely not stop her from trying to contact him; whether it was to apologize or not. But it wouldn’t matter. He didn’t want to hear it. He was done._ _

__“Eren, you have already received the key to your room in the dormitory from Hanji. I hope that you have no trouble settling in and Armin? Please show him around and take care of him. It must be a lot to take in for the both of you, so you two having each other as support wasn’t a bad idea of Levi.”_ _

__At the mention of Levi’s name Eren couldn’t help but narrow his eyes suspiciously. He still didn’t know what the relationship between the two of them was with them meeting up on Friday what he could only assume would be after work. He didn’t like it. And for once he knew that it wasn’t just his omega saying that.  
A small chuckle interrupted the staring contest he was having with the blonde brute standing in front of him. Hanji piped in with a glint of mischief in her voice “Oh by the way Erwin… how did you manage to calm down grumpy-pants for having him come in to teach _extra lessons?_ He loathes those.”_ _

__Not breaking eye-contact, an infuriating knowing smirk twisted Erwin’s lips upwards as he looked at Eren almost condescendingly “Oh you know, after knowing Levi for _soooo many years_ , I know _exactly_ how to calm him down.”_ _

__Eren couldn’t help himself. Without knowing what he was doing he bared his teeth at the tall alpha and growled loudly._ _

__The notion of Levi being with this blonde asshole had his growl turn into a high-pitched hiss; finding the idea more than disturbing. His omega also protested loudly, internally throwing insult after insult at Erwin standing in front of him, who on his end just raised one of his abnormous eyebrows questioningly._ _

__All Eren’s omega wanted to do is claw the other’s eyes out for even attempting to get in between him and Levi, but the pressure of a hand on his arm holding him back had him slowly return to his senses. Armin gave him a reprimanding look, his eyes clearly telling him that he was overreacting. But he didn’t feel like he was. Levi was _his_ , and Erwin should keep his dirty hands away from him. _ _

__He was aware of Erwin saying something to Hanji under his breath, but it was the ensuing chuckle that had him fully snap back to reality._ _

__The guy was chuckling; laughing at him and his reaction. _Asshole.__ _

__Eren was glaring daggers at the alpha that was trying to take away what was his as the blonde spoke up again. “Apologies Eren, but would you mind leaving the room for a bit? I have some business to discuss with Armin.”_ _

__Eren just continued scowling; not moving so much as an inch. As if he was leaving his vulnerable, hurt friend alone with some alpha he didn’t know._ _

__His body language must have been telling as much since Erwin just chuckled again and muttered a low “So alike.” before saying louder “If you feel more comfortable with it then Hanji can stay in the room. It’s just discussing things like hospital bills and Armin’s treatment.”_ _

__He was about to retort when Armin cut him off before he could even get the words out “I’m fine Eren. He’s just here to discuss trivial things. And I can always call a nurse, remember?”_ _

__Eren shifted on the bed uncomfortably, not wanting to leave the blonde alone but at the same time wanting to respect his wishes. “Bu-“ – “Eren, I’m a grown up man, I don’t need you to protect me. Also, Hanji should go with you… I don’t like the idea of you wandering around in the hospital alone… so, please?” and then he threw Eren his best puppy eyes. _Fuck._ As if he could ever resist those. _ _

__“Fine. Just let me know if you need anything.” He grumbled before getting up from the bed._ _

__“I wouldn’t mind some chocolate milk actually” Armin admitted smiling brightly._ _

__And Eren didn’t even have to ask why he was requesting something so specific. He could only buy that in a convenience store down the road, so his best friend clearly didn’t want Grisha finding him wandering down the hospital halls. Armin was subtly looking out for him again._ _

__“Got it Ar, will be right back.” He threw Erwin another glare before leaving the room – Hanji in tail; following him like an excited newborn puppy._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i hope you guys liked it. Apologies if the end is too abrupt, i just reached the point after 9k where i thought i'd better end it here, and i really wanted to post it today as promised. 
> 
> Do let me now what you think :D


	12. Two can play this game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys i'm really sorry that it took me a while to get this chapter done, and then it's actually not even a long one. But for some reason i had a really hard time writing this chapter, so apologies if it's not up to par. T_T i hope you still enjoy it and let me know what you think. love to hear your feedback <3 
> 
> also on a side note, since i'm going to convention after convention during the coming 3 weeks and will hence be very busy with cosplay and then on a vacation to Japan i'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. I will try to write it as soon as possible but i can't make any promises.

To say Levi was annoyed was a complete understatement. Frustration and disgruntlement were ever prevalent on his angular face; his mouth twisted into a constant scowl, his patience wearing thinner than ever. And there was only one reason for that: _Eren was avoiding him._

The day of Eren’s panic attack had been relatively quiet after the turmoil in the morning. With the lesson he was forced to give being not nearly as dreadful as he feared it to be he found himself at home grading the rest of the shitty papers his students had handed in. His mind however, kept wandering and pondering over the connection he felt to the teal-eyed brat. 

At first he tried denying the fact that there was anything there; trying his damnedest to ignore the more than irritating tugging pull he felt into a certain direction. Like hell he was going to submit to some stupid instinct. But even then; he realized that he had involuntarily kept track of Eren the entire day; telling himself that he was only making sure nothing happened to the brat every time he caught himself checking on the link and Eren's location. 

He felt like a freaking stalker and hated the possessive side of his alpha that shone through oh so clearly. It urged him to go to Eren’s side and protect him; or even better: make him his. 

Levi growled lowly and shook his head in distaste. Bonding was not a decision taken lightly and without his explicit consent he would never touch Eren in that way. _Never._

That on the other hand meant that his subconscious actually considered doing it if he _had_ Eren’s consent. What the fuck was this shitty brat doing to him?

He sighed in exasperation and grouchily settled on the couch, still clearly far from on-board with the whole idea of Eren freaking Jaeger – a 19-year old college student – being his fated other half. Or even _having_ an other half for that matter. 

After a while of back and forth between his inner alpha and himself, however, he sullenly had to admit that denying the whole ordeal wasn’t helping. There _was_ something there. What it was Levi was uncertain of, but it was far from anything he had ever experienced. While yes, Eren was enchanting with his vibrant emerald green doe eyes and his delectable tanned thighs – oh how pretty they would look like covered in his marks and bites… how he would let his tongue slowly roam its way up to the delicious price in between Eren’s luscious round globes that were just begging for a firm squeeze… How he would tease the brat to tears, make him beg for it, his name only on the boy’s lips … 

Fucking hell. 

Levi took in a ragged breath and forced himself to control his more than vivid fantasies. 

It took him a moment before he was calm enough to admit through gritted teeth, that yes he certainly _was_ attracted to the brat. 

But it felt like more than that. 

He couldn’t really explain it, but seeing Eren in pain, his usually calm scent of Levi’s most favorite aroma of earl grey turning sour with distress had done things to him no other omega ever had. 

The urge to protect an omega wasn't something new to the raven, but it had always just been more of a duty to him. Something alphas did or were supposed to do at least. Something that his nature compelled him to do. 

He had never connected with a single one of them – not finding anyone alluring or even the slightest bit enthralling; their scents more repugnant than anything. He had never understood how alphas could lose their head over something smelling so sickeningly sweet; even wondering if something was biologically wrong with him for a while. 

But breathing in Eren’s heavenly scent, having it on his skin even, had completely changed Levi’s perspective. His scent gland had been tingling and itching ever since he had washed off the brunette’s delicious aroma and he grouchily had to admit that it felt as if a part of himself had been washed away. He felt incomplete. Alone. And it made the itch burn brighter with every second he thought about it.

So as much as he just wanted to dismiss the stupid theory and every single word that had come out of the crazy mouth of shitty glasses, he realized that the pull he felt towards the brunette was far from normal. It was more than mere attraction, but saying that it felt like something had fallen into place during the brief moments they had interacted just felt wrong on so many levels. He barely even knew the younger male. 

But the more he thought about it, the more he became aware of the want - no - _the need_ , to get to know the brunette. He wanted to know Eren. Wanted to know what made him tick; what made him happy; what made him smile. He wanted to see the breathtaking smile he had envisioned on the brat’s face more than anything else. He wanted to be the reason for that smile; wanted the brat to smile that way only for him.

He sighed heavily and cupped the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Exasperated at the fluffy and more than out of character thoughts he had about the teal-eyed brunette. 

Scratching his itchy scent gland absentmindedly he decided to give the whole thing some time. Maybe the stupid itch and pull would go away after a while and his mind would no longer be preoccupied with thoughts of a freaking _19 years-old college student._

****

After barely getting any sleep overnight, his irritation only rose further when he got up and realized that instead of getting weaker, the fucking pull had actually intensified. He felt compelled to instantly leave his apartment without so much of a second thought and make his way to the location where his internal GPS was pointing him to. 

A growl of frustration echoed in his apartment as he forced his agitated self to put on some clothes and _NOT_ run to his omega’s side. “Fucking hell… can’t catch a break now can I?” he grumbled under his breath, a look of exasperation taking residence on his refined features as he marched into the kitchen. Saying he was in a foul mood wasn’t cutting it and not even his everyday earl grey tea was enough to calm his abysmal mood – only reminding him further of the teal-eyed brat and the fact that he wasn’t here at his side. 

He didn’t even have to think about where Eren was – his subconscious already having peeked through the connection to make sure the brunette was safe and sound in the dormitory. Rolling his eyes at his own freakish behavior he wondered briefly if Eren was feeling the link as well. _If_ Hanji’s shitty theory was right and they were indeed true mates, then the connection would go both ways right? That meant that Eren must be feeling the same things he was - meaning he felt this shitty pull as well… and... that he could pinpoint Levi’s location just as much as he could do so with Eren’s. 

He didn’t particularly like the idea of anyone knowing his exact whereabouts at all times, but then again it was Eren – and strangely enough it didn’t bother him that much. After all, he wouldn’t be able to subdue his inner alpha half as well if he couldn’t assure it of the safety of the omega - so it was only fair that Eren knew where he was as well. 

Sighing deeply and grabbing the rest of his tea, Levi started making his way to the campus – being eternally grateful that he could focus solely on his research today. He didn’t feel like teaching a class, not wanting to deal with the antics of his students or take his awful mood out on them. 

****

Unsurprisingly, Levi stayed in his office during the entire day, only briefly leaving it for lunch break. The pull was somewhat manageable now that he was closer to Eren than before; the proximity to the omega even helping subdue the bothersome itch he constantly felt on his scent gland. Thank fucking god. 

The brat was attending his lessons diligently from what Levi could tell through their connection and with him staying in his office he no longer felt the ridiculously insane urge to run to the omega’s side. "It was about fucking time" he mumbled grumpily, running his hand through his raven locks before focusing on the task in front of him. At least he could focus on work now. 

By the time for lunch his mood had visibly improved without the irritating effects of their shitty connection constantly bothering him. He even felt like going out to grab something to eat – which in itself was an oddity to the raven-haired professor; being rather picky when it came to the places where he liked to eat. He wasn’t going anywhere near the disgusting cafeteria food the university provided, unhygienic and unhealthy as canteen food usually was. 

He had already made up his mind on where he wanted to go, very much looking forward to it now that he had grabbed his car keys and was leisurely walking down a corridor, unconsciously checking on Eren when he realized that the brat was moving in his direction. 

A small smirk adorned Levi’s face as he noted that they would inevitably run into each other; almost instantly reprimanding himself for getting excited over seeing some shitty brat in a hallway when suddenly - he noticed that Eren must have stopped dead in his tracks. 

He was no longer walking towards him. 

Frowning Levi picked up his pace; trying to shorten the distance as quickly as possible without looking like he was flat-out running down the hallway - when all of a sudden, Eren turned around and bolted. 

He ran away from him. 

That was the only explanation for the quickly increasing distance between the both of them and the now growing intensity of the tugging Levi felt in his chest. Dumbfounded he came to a halt in the middle of the corridor, staring at the empty space where he assumed Eren had lingered mere seconds ago. Confusion washed over him before the realization and the feeling of rejection hit him. Scowling, Levi turned around and strode back to his office, irritation rising with every step he took, knowing one thing for certain: 

The brat could feel the link as well. _And he was using it to avoid him._

****

He could barely focus on his work during the afternoon, his thoughts a jumbling mess of questions. Why was Eren avoiding him? Was it because he was an alpha after all? Yeah, the omega hated alphas but Levi had assumed that he had shown him more than once that he was different; that he would never treat Eren like the other shit-stains of alphas would; that he would never discriminate based on a secondary gender. 

Was it him having organized the movers? Was it him having made that decision without consulting Eren that made the brat think that he was just like any other alpha? But Hanji had assured him that Eren hadn’t been appalled at that, rather he had been delighted. So what had he done wrong? 

It pained him to think that Eren wanted nothing to do with him and had chosen to run away from him. He had done his best to help the shitty brat and that was the thanks he got? Being ignored, avoided and categorized without the stupid brat even knowing him? 

He slammed his pen down violently and decided that he needed to let off some steam. He had been pondering over this mess of a situation for too long and needed a fucking break. Grabbing his jacket from the top of the chair where he had all but thrown it in his anger, he stormed out of his office down the hallways until he reached his sleek black car, neatly parked where he had left it in the morning and drove straight to his favorite gym. A punching bag seemed very enticing right about fucking now. 

****

Over the course of the next few days however, it became clear that what he had hoped to have been a one-time only thing was in fact Eren’s standard behavior now. Every time he would run into the brat on campus, Eren swiftly moved to avoid it. And with each time the brat did so, Levi became more and more frustrated. 

Eren wasn’t even giving him the chance to explain himself or ask what he had done wrong. He was treating him as if _he_ had been the one to almost force-bond him, not the other shitty Ackerman. 

He tried his best not to let his irritation seep into his lectures, but he couldn’t deny the fact that he was grumpier than ever. His mood was shit and he knew it - and that was saying something. It had gone so far that even Hanji no longer just barged into his office in giddy excitement, asking him annoying questions about the fucking brat who was avoiding him for no fucking reason whatsoever. After the 10th time the bickering annoyance of a woman had barged in, he had flat-out yelled at her to fuck off and not come near him anytime soon. 

And to his dismay the pull was so strong that it felt almost suffocating whenever he was in his apartment. He assumed that it had something to do with not having seen the brunette in 4 days now; the string that connected them urging them together. But Levi would have none of it. Eren didn’t want to see him and as irked as he was with the entire situation he still respected the omegas wishes. 

Maybe it was just too much for the omega – he had after all just presented and was dealing with the aftermath of some rather traumatic experiences. Still, he could at least show his face. They didn’t need to hold a conversation or anything, but the way he was running away from him was just rude and left Levi feeling dejected and emptier than he had ever felt in his entire life. 

Fucking brat. He knew that walking into that shitty alley meant trouble and now his whole life was turned upside down by the whims of a freaking kid. ‘Pull yourself together Levi’ he thought bitterly as he sorted through the stack of paper on his desk. 

It was Friday and he definitely needed a fucking drink – Erwin in tail or not. 

He was about to stand up and get ready when a timid knock sounded at his office door.

His brows furrowed in confusion, questioning who would knock at his office over an hour after the last lecture of the day had ended. It must be some shitty student, after all Erwin and Hanji wouldn’t trouble themselves with the simple manners of knocking on someone’s fucking door and no one else bothered to come to his office during work hours. He slumped back into his chair with a heavy sigh, clearly not very keen on dealing with whoever waltzed into his office when he was just about to leave.

“Come in.” he said loud enough to be heard through the door, his voice as impassive as his facial expression that was blank of any emotions. That quickly changed when a mob of brown hair peeked through the door and his silver eyes met emerald ones. 

_Eren._

His motionless mask cracked for a second as his gunmetal eyes widened in shock only to narrow again as he reigned his expression back in. He hadn’t kept track of the brunette today, forcing himself not to think about the shitty brat that had him wrapped around his little finger, trying instead to pluck every thought about the omega at its roots and toss it into a corner of his mind, refusing to dwell on the well-being of someone who was clearly not interested in seeing his face again. And now said person stood in front of him.

Eren slowly stepped into his office, fiddling with his hands nervously, not knowing what to do with them and decided on stuffing them into his jeans pocket before meeting Levi’s piercing gaze again. 

Levi had to take a moment to reel his instincts back in, his alpha roaring loudly as the delicious scent wafted into his office and mingled pleasantly with his own. As if on cue, the itching on his scent gland and the tugging pull he had been aware of in the back of his head disappeared into non-existence. Instead the air sparked with sudden electricity, the space between them becoming too small and too wide at the same time; Levi’s inner alpha insisting on closing the large distance between the both of them, while Levi himself only wanted to increase the gap and leaned back into his chair with his arms crossed. 

He stared at the brunette, contemplating on what he ought to do with him, now that he had decided to _grace_ him with his presence after all. 

His voice was cold as he uttered the next few words, not able to help contain the feeling of rejection that was still gnawing at him “What can I do for you, Jaeger?” 

Eren flinched upon hearing Levi addressing him in such a detached and rather cold way. His cute face scrunched up into a deep-seated frown, his eyes searching Levi’s almost pleadingly as if begging for forgiveness, before he gulped audibly and stuttered “Ah… u-uhm… I-I… I c-came to… to thank you.” 

Eren was quiet for a second before he continued, his voice hitching and gaining more confidence with every sentence he spoke “To thank you for all you’ve done for me. I uhm… I know you didn’t even know who I was but… b-but you’ve saved me anyway. And I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am for that.”

Eren was now fiddling with the hem of his shirt, his eyes averted, no longer meeting Levi’s gaze and if Levi hadn’t felt like making his point he would’ve already succumbed to the more than adorable display of his omega in front of him. But alas, he wasn’t feeling particularly forgiving without hearing a proper explanation. 

Levi didn’t say anything, quietly processing the words coming out of the brat’s mouth, for he knew that Eren wasn’t finished yet. Eren raised his head and looked straight into Levi’s swirling silvery orbs at his next words “Grateful for you… and… and I’m sorry for avoiding you, it.. it was just so much to take in and I didn’t know how to deal with it all. But I’d like to make it up to you!!” 

Eren had almost shouted the last part, earning himself a raised eyebrow from Levi at his enthusiastic offer. Making it up to him? His alpha was more than ready to make good on the brat’s words but Levi had full control now. He wasn’t going to let his mind wander when Eren had finally decided to talk to him. 

“Make it up to me, huh…” – “Yes!! I know I can’t offer much and I’ve been wrecking my brain for something for the whole week and uhm… If you’d like I c-could… uhm… I could…” Eren had averted his gaze again; his hands balled into his shirt now and his voice trailing lower and lower, much to Levi’s irritation. 

“Spit it out brat, I don’t bite” well… it wasn’t like he didn’t want to. 

Fucking hell. 

He was once again extremely grateful for his natural-born poker-face and the fact that Eren had still been averting his gaze, for Levi’s desires must have briefly flashed over his face. He gritted his teeth, quietly putting the leash back on his inner alpha and waited for Eren’s response. 

“Ah, uhm I thought I could makedinnerforyousometime?” 

Considering how Eren had stuttered up until this point, Levi was amazed that he actually managed to almost stumble over himself by how quickly he uttered the last words. 

Dinner huh… The brat wanted to make him dinner. 

But before he could even open his mouth Eren continued nervously. “My lasagna is beast, everyone says so. It’s my grandma’s recipe and I just thought that I can’t offer you much. I don’t have the money to invite you to some fancy place and I can only cook in the dormitory but I mean I’m sure it would turn out alright… But I mean if you don’t want to I understand as well. I’m sure you have better things to do and you probably don’t want to spend time with some bratty college student and uhm, sorry I mentioned anything… just forget abou-“ – “Eren! Stop rambling I haven’t even said anything yet.”

Eren flinched again at his reprimanding tone but stopped the fiddling to meet his gaze head on. Determination and dare he say hope sparked in the beautiful teal pools Levi now gazed into and before overthinking it he said “Under one condition brat.” He could almost see the wagging tail and perked up ears as Eren’s face lit up like some freaking Christmas tree. 

“You’re not cooking for me at some shitty dormitory kitchen. Who knows what crawls around there.” His face scrunched up in disgust as he remembered how the dormitory kitchen in Hanji’s dorm had looked like. The pots rusty or covered in burnt remains of previous cooking attempts, the stove covered in spilled juices and leftovers no one bothered to clean, the fridge holding molded cheese, never having seen a cleaning in its entire life judging by the dust and dirt covering the top of it and the microwave’s interior completely blackened with god-knows what. Fucking disgusting. 

“But then… where?” the confusion was evident in the omega’s voice; Eren seemingly not having made the connection yet so it was up to Levi to spell out the obvious. “At my place of course brat.” And as he saw Eren trying to protest he quickly added with a small smirk and a raised eyebrow “I thought you wanted to make it up to me?” 

“I do” came the begrudging answer, Eren clearly not having imagined he would be invited to Levi’s place. “Good. Are you free tomorrow?” to which Eren replied with a nod, still lost in his own thoughts it seemed. 

“6pm at my place then. You already have my number so use it – I will text you the address once you have.” 

He could see the blush tinting Eren’s cheeks in a rosy color upon him mentioning the phone number Eren had obviously not dared to use. Levi hadn’t forgotten though and seeing the brunette’s shy reaction only made his smirk widen. Teasing the brat would be fun; after all two could play this game. 

Eren was about to say something in retort when suddenly the door slid open behind him and a tall blond figure stepped into the room.

“Levi, are you ready to- “ Erwin paused when he noticed the almost intimate atmosphere he had barged into, eyebrows rising as he took in Eren’s disgruntlement at his abrupt appearance. One quick glance at Levi was enough for his longtime best friend to discern that his mood had significantly improved over the course of the past few hours, and it wasn’t hard to guess why. Erwin’s eyes then wandered over to Eren, checking for something and with a sly smile Levi knew all too well the blond continued in a teasing tone “Are you ready to _go have some fun?_ ” 

Levi frowned and gave Erwin a pointed questioning look. What was up with shitty eyebrows? As if going out with him would be fun – far from it and Erwin knew that it took Levi a certain amount of liquor to tolerate his noisy prodding questions. 

Then again, on the rare occasion it actually _was_ fun - sometimes – not that he would ever admit that out loud and especially not to Erwin or Hanji. But taking a wild guess the blond already knew that much.

He paused when the scent of anger wafted over to him, his eyes flashing over to take in Eren’s face, searching for the reason for the brunette’s anger. Eren was staring daggers at Erwin, who all but casually greeted the younger, as if only noticing him now “Oh, hello Eren. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.” 

Eren gritted his teeth, fists balled at the side of his body and before he answered he closed his eyes to take in a ragged breath “No actually we were just finished, _Erwin._ ” 

Levi’s eyebrows weren’t the only ones that rose at the lack of respect and the familiarity with which Eren addressed Erwin. How did he even know him? They had never spoken to each other before, so how come Eren was addressing the director of the university he was attending on a first name basis? And judging by his tone, he clearly did it on purpose - but why? 

Teal orbs darted over to meet narrowed liquid pools of gunmetal before saying with a small smile on his lips “See you tomorrow then Levi.” Before adding with a death glare in the direction of Erwin “At least you’ll be having fun _on one night_ of your weekend.” With that he confidently strode out of his office, not sparing Erwin a second glance.

For a brief moment silence enveloped the both of them as they processed Eren’s rather dramatic and cheeky departure that left Levi pondering over what exactly had riled up the brat so much. But it was Erwin’s loud roaring laughter that completely derailed his thought process and resulted in an irritated scowl on Levi’s face. Gasping for air between his chuckles the blond stared at Levi’s irked expression and wheezed “Are you ready to go Levi, or are you expecting any other visitors?” 

“As ready as I can be for this.” He grumbled but stood nonetheless, glaring at his best friend for his ridiculously strange behavior. What the fuck was going on this week? Was it full moon or was everyone just going nuts around him? He sighed but resigned himself to be in for a rather exhausting night based on Erwin’s already bizarre behavior. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i actually wanted to include the entire drinking scene with Erwin in the beginning, but at the pace i was going i decided to end the chapter here to at least post something for you guys. i hope you enjoyed it anyway ^^


	13. Insecurities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guuuuys!! first of all i'm so incredibly sorry that i haven't posted in like.. 2months? OMG it has been so long T_T but i just didn't have the time to write with all the conventions going on and vacation and everything. But please know that i won't stop writing this fic, even if it takes me 2 months to post again, i won't abandon it. 
> 
> So having said that please enjoy the chapter.

Eren was standing in his new room, shifting around restlessly and staring aimlessly at the bare white walls; wondering what to do with himself. While he was ecstatic to finally be free from the clutches of his abusive ass of a father, he couldn't help but feel hollow, empty even as he sat down on his bed, staring at his dorm room full of boxes that were waiting to be unpacked. 

The moving people had arrived just as promised and had brought all of his belongings neatly packed and organized. He didn't own much, but it still seemed to fill more boxes than he had anticipated. Eren observed the movers while they diligently carried in box after box, feeling more queasy with each box that they brought. 

They were all situated neatly piled in a corner of the room now, the movers having left a long time ago. But Eren couldn't move; couldn't stop staring. Staring at the remnants of his past 19 years… It felt weird seeing his whole life packed away into sad excuses of brown cardboard boxes and now that it was neatly tucked away he wasn't sure if he ever wanted to unpack it again. 

He sighed heavily and slumped down on his bed, placing his arm over his closed eyes and trying hard not to think about all the shit that had gone down during the past 2 days. 

Armin had told him the same; to not focus too much on the past but the future instead; to look at _'the bright side'_. He sighed again, not entirely sure what the 'bright' was referring to, as he hadn't experienced anything truly positive in his life for quite some time. 

Thinking back on the conversation with Armin, he decided to heed his words and attempt to focus on how things would develop from now on rather than dwell on the shit that had happened to him. To focus on the things that brought happiness to his life: his friends, his studies and his alph-. Fuck! Brain, no!

He grumbled; annoyed at how a part of him seemed to agree with his inner omega that had – surprisingly enough – been very quiet ever since the incident at the hospital. After showing the blond alpha his place his omega had grown silent, almost eerily so. But Eren wasn't going to poke the sleeping bear; it would probably wake up soon enough anyway. 

He had spent the entire afternoon at the hospital, talking to Armin about this and that; avoiding the topic of either of the two Ackermans or the previous happenings; unable however to stop himself from interrogating his best friend on what exactly Erwin had wanted from him. 

Armin's evasiveness at certain questions intensified the uneasy feeling that had taken roots in his gut and made him wonder what the brute of an alpha had wanted from the blonde coconut. But Eren didn't press the already injured boy – if he didn't want to talk about it or if he was hiding it then he must have a good reason for it; he knew his best friend well enough after all. Armin would tell him when he was ready. 

Still, that didn't mean that he liked Erwin any better for making Armin keep things from him. His mouth twisted into a snarl upon remembering Erwin's insinuations; wanting to do nothing more than go back and claw his freaking eyes out. _How could Levi even be friends with someone like that?_

He huffed, unable to keep his mind from thinking about the possibility of Erwin’s hints actually holding some semblance of truth in them: Were the two of them in a relationship or had they been? Was the way Levi had treated him born out of pure kindness or was there something else? 

The moment his thoughts wandered to the raven, the more aware he became of the string that seemed to connect them. It was a strange sensation; Eren felt as if a part of himself was missing, like a piece of the jigsaw puzzle was lost, like there was some sort of gnawing hole inside of him, a void he was unable to close and every time he thought about Levi the space only widened further. It was almost tugging at him, telling him to go find the missing piece of the puzzle, to find what was made for him, to find what would make him whole. 

He groaned. Never in a million years would he have thought to ever – _like freaking ever_ – consider or even imagine someone else as a fixed part in his life. Not even talking about the sappy thoughts he was having of someone _‘completing him’_ – like what was this shit even. Where did this even come from? His omega was still being silent, so it wasn’t like he was being influenced to think mushy things like this, so did that mean those were his own feelings? But he barely even knew Levi!

It wasn’t like he was crushing on the guy now was he? Well yeah the guy was hot, amazingly hot even and pretty much Eren’s type - not even the height or lack thereof bothered him much, and then there were those piercing eyes of the raven… Swirling silver taking on a hint of azure if you looked closely enough – and that was all Eren wanted to do. Stare into those gunmetal eyes and loose himself in those breathtakingly beautiful orbs. Well fuck. He _was_ crushing on the guy after all. 

Another sigh slipped over his lips as the realization slowly seeped into his consciousness: He was crushing on his college professor and an alpha to boot. He grumbled, clutching the pillow tighter at the thought of all the things that he had never expected to happen actually happening during the past 48 hours. Presenting as a freaking omega, almost being gang-raped by some shit-stains in a dark alleyway, getting his ass saved by a random and unexpectedly kind alpha and then ending up miserably crushing on said alpha. Get your shit together Jaeger. 

Recounting everything that happened, Eren couldn’t help but wonder for a brief second, if all the attraction he was feeling for Levi was some sort of twisted hero worship and not some stupid fated meeting between destined mates. What if all of it was purely psychological? What if what Eren was feeling was just something his mind had conjured to make him feel better; to make him cope with the trauma more easily? 

But then again that wasn't like him. If there was one thing he was most definitely certain of, then it was the fact that Eren Jaeger would _never_ experience some sick savior-crush on an _alpha_ – whether said alpha saved his sorry ass or not. Yeah Levi had rescued him, but that didn’t make Eren feel any weaker or helpless. 

It wasn’t what attracted him to Levi. There was so much more to the raven than him being an alpha. It was the way he had treated him; the way he had looked at him, held him tenderly and almost lovingly – as if he was something precious and not just some ragged, beaten down college student. 

But had that really been Levi or was it just his alpha instincts taking over? If they were indeed true mates and insanely compatible - at which Eren felt another intensified tug into a certain direction – then did that mean that Levi was having the same issues as Eren? Unable to decipher what were his own feelings and which were being influenced by his secondary gender? Had it all just been Levi’s inner alpha that reacted to a distressed omega resulting in him treating Eren according to how his instincts had demanded it?

‘Fuck, Eren. You know better than that’ he thought bitterly. As if any of the shitty alpha assholes would treat an omega nearly as kindly as Levi had. No. All they wanted to do was mate and breed, satisfy their inner animalistic cravings and nothing else. Finding one that treated you like something better was rare – not as rare as it used to be 10 years ago but still – _fucking rare._

So then did that mean that it hadn’t _all_ been Levi’s alpha? Could he actually hope for that? _Did he want to hope for that?_

Eren opened his eyes to stare at the taunting pile of boxes that symbolized his miserable life again and wondered how the hell _HE_ was supposed to be the perfect other half for anyone out there. His whole life had been a mess. _HE_ was a mess and anyone that was supposedly tied to him deserved better. 

It wasn’t like he was completely broken; he had refused to become so; not wanting to give Grisha the final satisfaction of breaking both his body _and_ mind. But then again, he would be lying if he said he had never considered ending his own life when Grisha's violence reached it's peak. The thought had been once been tempting. Who would even miss him? Armin and Mikasa maybe, but they would get over it eventually. They would live on… and Eren? He would have gotten to see his Mom again; Grisha would have never been able to hurt him again - he would have been free. 

As if on cue the tugging he felt in his chest became almost painful; a throbbing sting echoing through his entire body; trying to divert his attention away from where his thoughts were leading him. 

Great. Not even his thoughts and feelings were his own anymore. _Just fucking great._

“It isn’t like I am actually going to do something stupid like that” he grumbled to himself; trying to appease the stupid string that connected them. This was the last thing he needed - he was in desperate need of some fucking sleep and the tugging didn’t particularly help with that, especially now that it was so intense that it hurt. 

Groaning, he rolled to his side and hugged his pillow tighter. It was all just a swirling mess inside of his head right now; too much to handle in such a short amount of time. He had no idea how to sort through his emotions and frankly speaking he'd much rather avoid that shit than delve right into it. 

He still had no idea on how to deal with his inner omega; Armin’s advice had helped somewhat but there were so many things that were still unclear to him. Why was he able to hear his omega’s voice when you’re only supposed to be able to do that during a heat? And then there was the whole presenting thing. He technically knew all too well what being an omega entailed - studying it as his major after all – but having to experience it first-hand just seemed freaking bizarre. 

Eren didn’t even want to think about having another heat; trying his damnedest to ignore what Hanji had mentioned about his own emotions potentially working as a trigger for another one. He didn’t want to remember the nagging feeling of emptiness or the sudden and unrelenting need to be filled to the brim; or how he had lost himself to his instincts. How his own body had betrayed him. 

He shuddered remembering all the uncomfortable things he had tried to lock away in a corner of his mind. Facing them was not on the top of his priority list anytime soon, but his brain seemed to think otherwise; replaying the feelings and emotions ever so vividly. 

Tightening his grip on his pillow and curling deeper into the blanket underneath him, he tried to will the images away. It wasn’t as bad as when he had woken up to have a full blown panic attack, but the unrelenting current of emotions threatened to overwhelm him once again. 

Suddenly, the tugging pain in his chest lessened and instead an eerily familiar warmth spread through his entire body; melting his unease away and warming him from the core to the tips of his fingers. A tingling fuzziness settled in his limbs; distracting him once again from his spiraling thoughts and lulling him into a comfortable silence. All he could feel and sense around him was the warmth of someone else and despite no one actually being there, Eren felt safe and strangely enough at home. 

***

The shrieking noise of his alarm startled him from his peaceful slumber. Groaning he stretched to reach for the annoying thing, fumbling to hit the snooze button before hugging his pillow tightly again. He was so _NOT_ a morning person. 

After the 3rd time the alarm went off, he grouchily climbed out of his bed only to remember that he had failed to unpack any of his things. All his clothes, his toiletries and everything else were still neatly packed away and he was already running late as it is. 

Cursing, he opened the first box on the top of the stack lucky enough to find it filled with his worn-down clothes and he quickly grabbed the first few things he could see to throw them on. He didn’t care much about his appearance; never having had the luxury to worry about such things, not even mentioning the ability to tame the unruly mob of hair that adorned the top of his head. 

It wasn’t too bad today - he noticed as he glanced over the clothes he had just thrown on while hastily pulling on his favorite pair of boots. He had grabbed a rather tight fitting gray t-shirt and a washed out black jeans with a few holes over his knees - but luckily for him the current fashion sense was fucked up enough to actually consider this ‘in’. 

As if he would ever spend money on shit that already had holes in it. 

Shaking his head, he grabbed his bag and swiftly made his way out of the dormitory. Wading through the crowd of students that scrambled to find their respective classrooms, he realized with a pang in his chest that his dynamic hadn’t been the only thing that had changed over the past 2 days. The familiarity of the campus was suddenly gone, replaced with a feeling of bitter loneliness that washed over him at the thought of the comfortable college days with Mikasa and Armin at his side being over. 

And it would never be the same. 

With a scowl on his face he hurried to his classroom, wheezing when entering but just barely making it on time before the bell rang noisily behind him. Without paying any attention to his surroundings, he slumped down in a seat in the back-row; realizing his mistake way too late. 

“Oh my, did your tardy ass decide to _finally_ grace us with your presence, Jaeger?” the snarky comment was delivered from the two-toned asshole he knew all too well, leaving Eren to growl lowly under his breath and hiss “Why don’t you try the English language horse face, I don’t speak neigh”

“Harhar, very funny Jae-“ Jean’s head suddenly snapped to his side, his nose twitching and his mouth gaping open in shock as Eren settled down next to him. 

“Why the long face Jean? Suddenly decided to no longer try and hide your true identity?” Eren snickered waiting for Jean to continue the teasing banter that defined their weird-ass friendship if you could even call it that, only to be utterly disappointed when horse face instead blurted incredulously _“You’re a freaking omega Jaeger”_

Eren’s face fell immediately. For a second he had actually forgotten about the shitty fact that he had presented as one or that his whole life was a fucked up mess because of it. Way to go horse face. Thanks for the freaking reminder. 

“Oh the fucking irony. And you’re covered in some alphas scent to boot. Wow Jaeger, who’s the poor bastard that fell for such a sorry excuse of an omega hm?” It was Jean’s turn to sneer at him now, the ass-stain of an alpha thoroughly enjoying himself and before Eren could retort he added “did you lure the poor bastard in with your first heat? Maaaaaan poor guy, he must be blind _and_ deaf if he went for you.”

Flashes of the alleyway flickered before his eyes, one guy holding him down as the other stripped him bare. He himself being unable to do anything other than pouring out the heat pheromones that spelled his doom; unable to control his own bodily functions; unable to fight; unable to do anything other than present and play the role nature had deemed fit for him. 

_“He was neither.”_ Eren spat through gritted teeth, fists clenching underneath the table; trying his hardest to reel in the pulsing anger that surged through his veins; the sudden urge to bash Jean’s freaking teeth in becoming almost overbearing. 

Jean's eyebrows rose visibly as he saw Eren's agitated state, eyes shut tightly as the brunette tried to will the vivid images away. "Chill Eren, I was just messing with you." Shrugging he added with an almost bored tone "Presenting is shit for everyone."

Jean's attention was soon diverted by their lecturer or at least he pretended to be – not like either of them held much interest in the rather boring course they were forced to attend as a base module for their major. Still, Eren appreciated the gesture, as he tried his hardest to steady his labored breathing. Unclenching his balled up fists took some time and effort though, his body reeling with the overload of emotions that were dancing around within him. 

Jean's initial comments had hit way too close to home than he would ever openly admit to him. The two-toned bastard had hit the nail on the head when it came to his fears in regards to Levi and the weird-ass connection that they shared. He _had_ lured Levi and all the other alphas to the alley with his heat and he _was_ beyond of a failure of an omega. You didn't need to have eyes and ears to realize that. 

Even if he actually came to terms with being an omega or managed to get his secondary gender under control, he still felt partially broken. Grisha had seen to that. It wasn't just the bruises and broken bones he was referring to. No, Eren knew that he had major trust issues, his hatred for alphas speaking volumes of that. He loathed every single one of them and considering that he always advocated gender equality and not pigeonholing anyone based on their gender or appearance he felt like a major hypocrite. 

Not every alpha was an asshole. There were some good ones out there, right? Even if it was the sad minority. 

But that didnt mean that he could trust them or wanted a single one of them as his mate. He might be an omega but he damn well didn't need an alpha to function. And it most certainly didn't change the fact that if lost to their instincts alphas could be detrimental to other dynamics or even their own. Not even talking about their over-confident and cocky attitude that seemed to go hand-in-hand with the secondary gender. If an alpha wanted something he or she would just take it – or fight for it until submission or death. Mikasa being the prime example. 

Mikasa... His whole body shuddered as he remembered Mikasa's elongated teeth on his scent gland, muscles tensing with renewed adrenaline his body was desperately pumping out in his distress. He took in a ragged breath, trying to focus on his breathing and remembering the feeling of Levi's chest rising and falling underneath his slightly numb fingertips. Focusing on the raven helped, as he slowly managed to calm down, the blood no longer rushing in his ears and the tugging of their bond working as a grounding force. 

Jean glanced at him questioningly from the side and for once the bastard decided not to prod; instead seemingly wrecking his brain for a subject that would allow a change of topic. Eren at least had to give the guy some credit for trying, even though he failed miserably. "So, Jaeger, where exactly are Mikasa and Armin? It's weird not seeing them hovering around you before class."

Usually Eren would have replied with a snarky comment that Jean was just being jealous of their close friendship, but today that was the last thing he wanted to do. 'What close friendship anyway?' he thought bitterly. Close friends didn't attack and try to force-bond each other!

He suddenly saw Armin's lifeless body sprawled out against the wall again, Mikasa slowly stalking her way over to him. Shuddering he took in a labored breath, trying to calm the wave of nausea that hit him at the thought of the alpha being anywhere near him. He would never forgive her for what she had done. **Never.**

Alpha or not, she had betrayed his trust in the worst possible way, knowing _exactly_ that Eren never wanted a mate; that he hated alphas with every fiber of his being. Never really understanding why but still, she _knew._

She had hurt Armin without batting an eye, hitting the clearly terrified and weaker blond and sending him to freaking hospital for god's sake, and for what? Only to get closer to him - when all it had done was getting him farther away from her than she could have ever imagined. He never wanted to see her again, never wanted to be anywhere near her. 

He shuddered. Thank god she was suspended for the time being… but… what would happen after that? Knowing her, she would try and talk to him. Try to get him to forgive her. 

'That'll never happen' he thought bitterly, clenching his fists again as he imagined the rueful look that would adorn her face when she would try and approach him. It wouldn't matter. Nothing she would say could make up for what she had done. 

"Damn Jaeger, what is it with you today? You're wound up tighter than a rubber band!" Jean's exasperated voice forced him out of his musings and reminded him of the two-toned's question. 

Ignoring Jean's second statement, he muttered between still gritted teeth "Mikasa is… suspended and… Armin is in the hospital." And before Jean could bombard him with questions as to why and what the fuck had happened he added firmly "And that's all you need to know, Jean."

Eren could almost see the gears turning inside of Jeans's head. His shocked expression shifting to one of confusion and disbelief upon Eren telling him the whereabouts of his two- no, his _one_ best friend. 

Jean regarded him questioningly, his brows furrowing as his eyes finally fell on Eren's scent gland before gasping quietly. Eren could have sworn he heard it click once Jean reached his conclusion, his eyes widening comically and his face scrunching up in what Eren would guess to be disgust. But Eren couldn't be bothered to care whether Jean had come to the right conclusion or not or what his disgruntled expression was based on. His own mind was too preoccupied with pondering over the potential scenario of meeting Mikasa and her begging for his forgiveness.

The more he thought about it, the more pissed off he got with his childhood friend. She must have followed Armin to the infirmary without him knowing. Otherwise both of them would have entered the room at the same time and knowing Hanji, she would never risk an alpha barging into a room with a more than vulnerable omega inside. She must have reached out to Armin, and Mikasa being Mikasa just stealthily followed him. 

Renewed anger washed over him at the arrogance of the female alpha. She always thought she knew what was best for him, always hovering and even when she tried to hide it, Eren still knew that she felt the urge to protect him. He didn't need protection, and most certainly not _hers_! He had told her a million times and she still wouldn't listen to him. Her stubbornness and plain ignorance of his opinions had always been infuriating but never more so than in this very moment. 

He wanted to punch some sense into her; yell at her; scream at her for what an idiot she was. His rage and sadness mixed and swirled around inside of him; one side winning over for nothing more than a split second before it reversed again. 

"Seriously Eren, calm the fuck down, the whole room is starting to reek of distressed omega and it's not just giving _me_ a hard time concentrating on this bore of a lesson." Jean hissed. 

As if he had been thrown into cold water, Eren's eyes blinked rapidly, focusing on his surroundings and Jean's wry expression. "Fuck" he whispered, head tilting down in defeat. He hadn't even realized he was doing it - his emotions were clearly getting the better of him and now he was even bothering other people with it. 

"Jesus christ, I've no clue what happened to you, and I don’t think I wanna know, but you might wanna take today off if you can't even control your own scent." Eren knew that there was no real bite in Jean's statement, only the simple truth. But it still prompted his usual retort when it came to the two-toned pony's stupid way of phrasing things "I'll manage Jean. I just presented for fuck's sake. Cut me some slack."

Inhaling deeply, he focused on his tea-like scent and tried to soothe the anger and sadness out of his aroma; not noticing the faint victorious smile briefly ghosting over Jean's features at his irritated response. 

He concentrated, determined that this should be an easy feat; he just had to calm down right? But the more he focused on his own scent, the more he noticed the sour scent of distress laced within it; agitating him only further when he realized that he couldn't do it. Fucking hell. This couldn't be that hard! It's just some stupid scent. 

Ignoring Jean's wrinkled nose he closed his eyes and focused instead on the faint traces of sandalwood and pine still lingering on his skin. The scent was rather weak now, overpowered by his own flavor of tea and cinnamon; but he could still smell it. It wasn't enough to see the peaceful meadow again, but the mixture of their scents gave him a feeling of belonging; of home; as if his scent was meant to be infused with Levi's. Spiked by the musky aroma that complemented his own light sweetness so perfectly. 

He almost wished for his scent to always bear the hint of musky spice that Levi’s aroma brought with him. For everyone to know that they were taken, mated, bonded as their scents infused themselves into their partner. 

Eren couldn’t help the gasp that followed his train of thoughts when he realized where they had taken him. He had just wished for a freaking bond. With an alpha! 

Okay, not just _any_ alpha. But still. 

A bond. 

He swallowed thickly as he opened his eyes to see horse face staring at him with raised eyebrows. Eren ignored it in favor of pretending to focus on the lesson in front of him. His mind racing all the while; questions tumbling around inside of his head. Questions he wasn’t sure he wanted answers to. 

Wanting a bond was definitely his instincts screaming at him, not something he himself truly wished for… He had sworn so to himself; vowing to never wanting a mate or anything of the sort. Also... bonding was a huge step and every single fiber inside of Eren’s body was screaming at his instincts in protest. How could he ever trust an alpha not to lose himself to his instincts and turn into the stereotypical asshole Eren never wanted to have anything to do with? How could he even _think_ about the option of a mate when he had seen first-hand what losing their mate could do to a person? 

The lesson was over faster than he had expected and if not for Jean roughly smacking his arm and asking in an annoyed tone whether he intended to sit there and stare into space for the rest of the day, Eren wouldn’t have realized that the bell must have rang. 

He got up slowly; rubbing the sore spot from where Jean had hit him, glared at him and mumbled grumpily “You didn’t have to fucking hit me Jean.”

Jean just sneered at him and mocked “Oh nooo… is poor little Eren in pain? Do you want me to make it go away?” – “Fuck off, horse face” Eren spat while starting to walk down the corridor. Jean just snickered behind him but followed him anyway. 

It was lunchtime and Eren wasn’t particularly feeling the cafeteria today. He was trying to avoid seeing most of his college friends. Mikasa had been part of the whole gang and him presenting had somehow fucked everything up. Eren wasn’t sure how the others would feel about him being an omega or how they would react once they heard what she had done. He never wanted to put the others into a position where they had to choose sides or some childish bullshit like that, but he couldn’t help his feelings when it came to the ravenette. 

He was lost in his thoughts when he suddenly felt an intense tugging in his chest. He hadn’t felt it all morning he suddenly realized and for the first time since he arrived on the campus he felt an odd magnetic pull urging him into a certain direction. 

Eren hadn’t had the time to delve into the mystery that was the weird connection he felt towards Levi but in this very moment he knew with absolute certainty that if he followed the pull he would run into the raven. 

That thought alone was enough to make him stop dead in his tracks. 

_He wasn’t ready._

He couldn’t face Levi right now. He didn’t know what to say to him. Didn’t know how the raven would react to him. He hadn’t figured anything out yet; didn’t know where he was standing in terms of his thoughts and feelings for him. How was he supposed to face him? 

What if Levi didn’t feel anything? What if he were to be rejected by the raven? What if Levi had only helped him out of duty and would just treat him like a regular student now? His inner omega hissed and his stomach twisted at the possibility of Levi rejecting him or not being interested in him; his brain short-circuiting and without taking the time to overthink his reaction he ran. 

His feet kept him going until he was standing in front of his dormitory. Quickly taking two steps at once he raced up to his room and buried himself in his blankets. Without knowing where it came from, his chest constricted with a wave of sudden pain and the faint feeling of rejection washing through him.

Huffing and clutching his pillow tightly, his thoughts were starting to align again, his panicked behavior finally subsiding. And with that came the sudden realization:

_He had just run away from Levi._

From the one person that had helped him more than anyone else. Who had selflessly taken care of him. Who in the short time that they had known each other had given him more than he could have asked for. From the one person that had given him freedom. 

Guilt wrecked through Eren as he realized what he had done. And if their connection was anything to go by then Levi would’ve felt the pull as well and would have known he had run from him. _Fuck._

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck fuuuuck! 

He just screwed up royally. 

‘There goes your one chance at getting to know him’ he thought bitterly. No way in hell would Levi want to have anything to do with him now that Eren had clearly shown him he didn’t want to see him. 

When actually he _did._

He _did_ want to see the raven again. But he just didn’t know how to face him. 

Frustrated and angry at himself he curled deeper into his blankets, fitfully thrashing around, unable to get truly comfortable. What was he supposed to do now? Apologize? Talk to him? 

Staring at the bare white walls of his dorm room he sighed, talking about it would be the best option right? That’s what Armin would say if he was here right? Then he just had to do it. With resolute determination he vowed to go and talk to Levi tomorrow and clear the air. Hopefully the raven would forgive him for his bratty behavior. 

***

He tried. He really did.

But when the strange magnetic pull had appeared again the next day and the day after that, Eren had reacted just like he had on the first day. By running away. 

He hated himself for doing so. And to make things worse and even more confusing, the tugging pull he constantly felt had intensified. Washing away the ravens scent had far from helped with it being especially bad during the evenings when he was at the dormitory. Last night had been so bad that it almost hurt. He had barely slept; having no idea as to why it had suddenly become stronger or how to stop it. But it lead to his thoughts constantly revolving around Levi and how much the raven must hate him now. 

He kept telling himself that he would go tomorrow and clear everything up. But with the amount of times he had avoided Levi so far, he reckoned he would only make it worse. And that it had reached a point where Levi most definitely didn’t want to see him. 

Eren wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t. He was meticulously avoiding the raven - almost like he was the pest or something. 

Fuck, he was being so unfair to him. He placed his face in his hands and sighed heavily, fighting back the guilt that wrecked through his body. He couldn’t even do one damn thing right. 

“Okey that’s enough of the pity-party. Spill. _Now_!” Armins’ voice was demanding, patience clearly having run out and not giving him a way to back out of this conversation.  
The blond had returned from the hospital 2 days ago, watching him mope around, sighing in frustration and looking utterly depressed the longer the week went on. He had given Eren some space, letting him deal with his feelings but that clearly wasn’t working. 

“It’s nothing, Ar.” – “Oh don’t you ‘it’s nothing me’, Eren. Something is bothering you, now spill!” Blue orbs met emerald ones, holding his gaze firmly while saying in a gentler tone “Talking about it usually helps Eren, and I’ve been told I’m a great listener. So try me.”

Sighing and not meeting his best friends gaze, he grouchily admitted “I kinda… well I kinda have been avoiding Levi a bit.” - “So? What’s the big dea-… oh!” Armin’s eyes widened, his expression morphing into one filled with curiosity almost immediately. “Do you mean he can tell that you’ve been avoiding him because of your connection?” 

“I’m pretty sure he can, yeah… and I keep wanting to talk to him, but then I end up avoiding him... I don’t know what to do, Ar…I’m sure he hates me now. So there might not even be a point in talking to him anymore. I’m pretty sure I’ve screwed it up anyway so what’s the po-“ – “Okey, I’m gonna stop you right there!”

Armin’s eyes were no longer sparkling with excitement and curiosity; instead they were narrowed, his voice dripping in disapproval as he interrupted Eren. 

“Firstly, you needing time and not being ready to face him or talk to him yet is not something you have to apologize for. Well yeah sure, running away from him wasn’t the most mature thing you could have done. But I’m sure he’ll get over it. Secondly, no way in hell does he hate you. You’re fated mates for god’s sake. I’m pretty sure he’d do anything for you. And even without the fated mates thing I can tell that you’re crushing on him quite badly. So you just need to explain yourself to him and apologize. He may seem grouchy but from what you and Erwin have told me he just has a hard shell that’s not easy to crack. So get to cracking then Eren!”

Eren visibly bristled at the mention of Erwin’s name, casting a disapproving glare at Armin before muttering “But what if he rejects me? I don’t want to be with someone just because some twisted fate has decided that we supposedly are a great match. And I’m sure Levi feels the same way.” 

Armin sighed, placed his hand on top of Eren’s and said with a faint smile “Then he’s an utter idiot. But trust me, he won’t reject you. “ – “How can you possibly know that” Eren asked disbelievingly. 

“Well for starters, not trying to get to know your true mate is just idiotic. If everything is telling you that the other person is the one for you, you might want to get to know them before deciding on rejecting someone who is supposedly perfect for you. And secondly, he would be a complete idiot if he didn’t appreciate someone as gorgeous, kind and big-hearted as you. So, stop moping around and come back to your usual self. The Eren I know would never mope around but face his problems head on, so just go and talk to him, will you?”

What Armin was saying actually made a lot of sense. Despite Eren never wanting a mate and hating alphas in general, he still wanted to get to know Levi. It didn’t matter to Eren whether they were fated mates or not, but a part of him couldn’t deny how right every interaction with the raven had felt and how at home Levi’s presence and scent made him feel. 

A wide grin spread over his features as Armin finished his little speech. And while Eren wasn’t an insecure person in general, this whole situation and his inner omega weren't really helping with his self-confidence. He just had to find back to his usual self right? Being and omega didn't mean that he was no longer _Eren_. He was still the same person and nothing would change that. 

"Thanks, Ar, but what am I supposed to say to him?” 

At that Armin smiled and simply answered “Just say what feels right. Don’t overthink it. Just be you.”

Eren sighed. Just being himself hadn’t really brought him anywhere so far. He wasnt even sure he _had_ been himself lately. But Armin was usually right with these things, so he decided to trust in the blonds’ advice. “Okey. I’ll talk to him tomorrow after class.”

And when he said it this time, Eren truly believed it. 

***

Eren was pacing up and down the hallway that lead to Levi’s office; his hands fidgeting anxiously with the hem of his shirt; trying to convince himself that Levi wouldn’t react too badly to him coming to talk to him. He was sure to accept his apology right? Levi had only been kind and understanding so far, why wouldn’t he be now?

Swallowing down his nervousness, Eren marched down the corridor. Straightening his back and inhaling deeply he raised his hand and timidly knocked on the door. 

“Come in” Levi’s impassive voice made a shiver run down Eren’s spine. He hadn’t realized he had been craving to hear the raven’s voice again until this very moment. Nervously he opened the door and stepped in. 

Levi’s office was neat and tidy. A massive oaken desk stood across from the door, the impeccably polished surface reflecting the last rays of sunshine that fell in from the window on the left side of the room. To the right side Eren could see bookshelf after bookshelf lining all the way up to the ceiling and he had to suppress a chuckle upon noticing a ladder next to one of them. 

But Eren didn’t really have time to inspect Levi’s office further as the scent of the raven suddenly hit him. The whole office smelled like Levi and Eren suddenly had the urge to never leave this place again.

He inhaled deeply but instead of relaxing him as Levi’s scent usually did, the hint of anger and something else that wafted over from the raven had him fidgeting with the hem of his shirt again. Levi _was_ angry at him after all. 

Eren glanced up at Levi, meeting his steely gaze and gulping loudly. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, not knowing what else to do with them and not wanting to come across as too nervous. 

Well, that ship had probably sailed already. 

“What can I do for you Jaeger?” Fuck, his voice was cold as ice, his face as impassive as ever, not giving Eren a hint of what emotion he was feeling at the moment. 

Eren shivered. Levi had never been that cold to him before, the usual gentleness Eren had seen from the raven replaced with what he could only guess his usual attitude – believing the stories from some of his friends that took his lectures. And it was almost enough to make him turn around and bolt; but he came here for a reason. 

Nothing would change if he just kept doing what he was doing and it wasn’t fair to Levi either. The raven had done nothing wrong and Eren had been treating him like vermin. He winced at the thought, his eyes searching Levi’s almost pleadingly, begging silently for forgiveness, before he stuttered “Ah… u-uhm… I-I… I came to… to thank you.”

Great. Well done Eren. Way to go. Stutter yourself into his heart. That will make him like you for sure. 

How the fuck was he supposed to do this? His mind was completely blank and Levi’s icy stare wasn’t helping. How was he supposed to tell the raven what he felt? How grateful he was for everything Levi had done for him? Where should he even begin?

Swallowing, he decided to just go for it. “To thank you for all you’ve done for me. I uhm… I know you didn’t even know who I was but… b-but you’ve saved me anyway. And I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am for that.”

He would never be able to thank Levi properly for all he had done for him. If Levi hadn’t been there… No he didn’t even want to think about it. But still, he would never be able to give Levi back what he had given him; to repay him for his kindness, to show him how much h- _it_ meant to him. 

Looking up and staring straight into Levi’s swirling pools of silver he declared desperately “Grateful for you… and… and I’m sorry for avoiding you, it.. it was just so much to take in and I didn’t know how to deal with it all. But I’d like to make it up to you!!”

He almost shouted the last part, his desperation seeping into his little speech as he went on. He had no idea how Levi would react to his apology not even talking about the ridiculous offer he was about to make. He had brooded over how to show Levi his gratitude for the entire week, but he couldn’t really offer the raven much. 

“Make it up to me, huh…” Levi’s emotionless voice interrupted his thoughts and sparked a tiny flame of hope inside of him. 

“Yes!! I know I can’t offer much and I’ve been wrecking my brain for something for the whole week and uhm… If you’d like I c-could… uhm… I could…” His enthusiasm dwindled with every word he said, until he barely even whispered the last one. Faltering over his own insecurities as to Levi for sure rejecting his offer once he’d hear it, he averted his gaze again. 

“Spit it out brat, I don’t bite”

There was no real venom in Levi’s voice as he said it, only slight annoyance. Eren hoped that it was due to his stuttering insecurity and not the offer itself. Gulping down the lump of anxiety stuck in his throat, thinking to better do it quickly, he rambled “Ah, uhm I thought I could makedinnerforyousometime?”

When Levi didn’t immediately respond, his nervousness got the better out of him “My lasagna is beast, everyone says so. It’s my grandma’s recipe and I just thought that I can’t offer you much. I don’t have the money to invite you to some fancy place and I can only cook in the dormitory but I mean I’m sure it would turn out alright… But I mean if you don’t want to I understand as well. I’m sure you have better things to do and you probably don’t want to spend time with some bratty college student and uhm, sorry I mentioned anything… just forget abou-“ – “Eren! Stop rambling I haven’t even said anything yet.”

He flinched at Levi’s reprimanding tone, knowing full well that he had been rambling, but he just couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to be rejected – especially not by Levi. 

But Levi had not outright rejected his idea so far, so maybe he would accept his offer? The flame of hope that had previously sparked inside of him flared up again as he met Levi’s gaze head on; hoping that his determination would somehow prove to Levi that this was a good idea. 

“Under one condition brat.” Levi’s voice was low, and Eren almost didn’t believe that he had heard him correctly. Was Levi actually accepting his offer? Did that mean that he was also accepting his apology? 

But he didn’t have the time to ponder over these questions as Levi continued, face scrunched up in disgust “You’re not cooking for me at some shitty dormitory kitchen. Who knows what crawls around there.” 

Levi had actually clicked his tongue at the idea of eating at his dorm. Well yeah, it was a dormitory and for sure not some 5 star kitchen but all the omegas helped clean the common areas regularly. It wasn’t too bad, but if Levi didn’t want to come to his place, where should he cook then? 

He voiced his concerns out loud and only received a light eye-roll and a bemused smirk as Levi coolly said “At my place of course brat.” 

_Wait what?!_

At his place? He couldn’t just barge into Levi’s place and cook dinner for him! They barely even knew each other, right? 

But before he could say anything Levi interrupted him with that damn small smirk tugging at his lips that made him look so incredibly hot. “I thought you wanted to make it up to me?” 

Fuck, this wasn’t fair. What was this guy doing to him? Begrudgingly and not entirely on-board with the idea of invading Levi’s privacy he reluctantly agreed. 

“Good. Are you free tomorrow?” Eren absent-mindedly nodded to Levi’s question, still pondering over what Levi inviting him to his place actually _meant._

“6pm at my place then, brat. You already have my number so use it – I will text you the address once you have.” Levi’s voice had taken on an almost playful note as he said the last part, but Eren couldn’t help the blush that spread over his cheeks at him mentioning the phone number Eren hadn’t dared to use. 

It wasn’t like he had forgotten about it, but after running away from Levi on the first day it just didn’t feel right to use it. He was about to say so when suddenly the door burst open and to Eren’s disgruntlement in came none other than fucking Captain America. 

_‘What the fuck was Erwin doing here?’_ he thought agitated at the presence of the blonde brute in Levi’s office. He knew that the two of them were friends but still couldn’t the guy at least fucking knock before barging into someone else’s office? And the familiarity with which he mustered Levi coupled with the sly smile he gave him raised Eren’s hackles. 

“Are you ready to go _have some fun?_ ” There was a playful lilt in Erwin’s voice as he finished his previous question to Levi, making Eren boil with rage at the infuriating innuendo. Who did he think he was, barging into the room in the middle of _their_ conversation and dropping shit like this? 

Fucking asshole. How could Armin even talk positively about this bastard? Not to mention Levi actually being friends with him. Eren was seething, but he had better control over his instincts now. And while his omega was already back to hissing at the blond ass, Eren opted for staring daggers at him. 

“Oh, hello Eren. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.” 

Oh he did not just-…. 

Eren gritted his teeth, fists clenching at his sides but he still managed to stay in control of his inner omega that was imagining disemboweling the blond. 

‘You asked for this asshole. Two can play this game’ he thought angrily as he answered in his most polite tone “No actually we were just finished, _Erwin._ ” 

As if this bastard deserved any ounce of respect – director of his university or not. No way in hell was Eren giving it to him. If the asshat wanted to mess with what was his then he would give the blond one hell of a run. 

His eyes darted over to meet Levi’s, a small smile ghosting over his features at the raised eyebrows at his previous statement. “See you tomorrow then Levi.” And with the hardest glare he could give he turned to face Erwin before saying “At least you’ll be having fun _on one night_ of your weekend.” 

‘Ha take that asshole, you’re not the only one who can do innuendos.’ He thought triumphantly as he strode out of Levi’s office, fully intent on making _very good_ use of Levi’s phone number tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really wanted to write Eren's PoV for the conversation in the office - so i'm sorry if it was repetitive to you guys. Next chapter will be the drinking session with Erwin haha XD i have no clue as to what exactly i want to write yet but i'll see where the conversation takes me :D 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter and do let me know what you think :)


	14. A night out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all I want to thank all of you for all the positive feedback i keep getting for this fanficiton. It warms my heart and makes me so incredibly happy, all the comments and kudos :3 you guys are so sweet :3 i still can't believe that i'm at over 1000 kudos and 15k hits! like WTF XD XD so thank all of you for reading and i hope you like this chapter. 
> 
> Secondly, I would really like to apologize that it has taken me a while to post another chapter QwQ. I had a few bumpy weeks this past month and i just didn't feel like writing and every time i tried i ended up not being happy with what i wrote. Sorry that you guys had to wait. I'm honestly still quite unsure about this chapter so please do let me know what you think.
> 
> Oh and i just decided to make a tumblr for my writing, you can find me under www.choucosplay.tumblr.com But i'm still very new to tumblr so please bear with me ^^
> 
> Also texting Eren is **bold**  
>  Texting Levi is _cursive_

Annoyed by Erwin’s continuous and far from subtle chuckling and more than irritating grinning, Levi all but strode down the pavement towards Scouts; not giving a single fuck about the blond being able to keep up with him. Fucking caterbrows. 

This “night-out” was gonna be fucking awful anyways but now, with Erwin grinning almost as maniacally as shitty glasses, Levi had a _very_ bad feeling about tonight. He didn’t need to be a goddamn psychic to know that he wouldn’t stand 10 minutes next to Erwin without having a decent head-start on alcohol or punching the shit-eating grin off his face. And as much as he currently wanted to go with the second option, he knew that he would never go through with it unless Erwin gave him a serious reason to. 

With what he could only assume to be a permanent scowl plastered on his face for the rest of the evening, he pushed open the door to their favorite bar. Dim lights and to his chagrin an upbeat rhythm of a pop song enveloped him as he stepped into the room. A fucking pop song. Seriously?! 

His eyes roamed around the room, taking in the rather classic outlay; burgundy bar chairs neatly aligned in front of the wooden and polished surface of the bar. Small booths that were furnished with what he begrudgingly had to admit were actually decently comfortable leather cushions took up the rest of the space of Scouts. There was a section further down towards his right were a pool table stood, a set of darts hanging at the wall next to the table. All entertainment that he had never bothered using; his main focus usually being surviving the night out with his two childhood-friends without biting one of their heads off. Not that Erwin and Hanji hadn’t tried making him. 

He sighed at that particular memory – his friends having annoyed and whined at him for the entire fucking evening and when that didn’t work, trying to get him wasted to agree to their shit. Well at least, he had gotten free drinks out of it. 

Levi’s eyes narrowed as he realized that the bar was crowded as fuck. Why the hell did Captain America have to suggest going on a freaking Friday? The bar was littered with college students, students from their university to boot. Levi sighed but headed straight for the bar; winding his way through the warm bodies of the young crowd; trying his damnedest to avoid any physical contact. He’ll be damned if he got someone else’s sweat on his shirt. Fucking disgusting. 

He arrived at the bar and immediately ordered himself a scotch. No way in hell was he starting this evening off light. Grumbling at the ordeal he found himself in, he downed the glass straight away as it was placed in front of him. He ignored the raised eyebrow of Mike and grunted “Keep the tab open Mike and give me a refill if you see my glass empty, I fucking need it if I want to survive tonight”. Mike huffed out a small laugh, refilled his glass immediately and said “The Kennedy package again? Who’s it this time? Hanji or Erwin… or both?”

Levi just snorted, reached for the glass and downed the deep copper liquid once again, reveling in the smoky taste and the slight burn in his throat. He replied with a curt “Erwin only this time” and started nursing on his third glass of scotch. 

“Well…” Mike eyed him almost inquisitively but then seemed to decide on something as he filled up his half-empty glass to a double and continued “… good luck then.” With that he turned to take the order of another customer and Levi let out a long sigh. 

Turning his glass around in his hands he wondered what the fuck he had signed himself up for tonight. It wasn’t like he couldn’t stand a night out with Erwin but with everything that happened this past week all he wanted was a goddamn break for once. Not only had a freaking teal-eyed brat appeared out of nowhere and turned everything he believed in upside down, no, now both of his best friends somehow seemed convinced that they had the right to meddle with his personal affairs and stick their nose where it clearly didn’t belong. 

What was going on between Eren and him was his own business; not theirs. And he most certainly didn’t need them to worry, try to help or prod. It wasn’t like he himself had a goddamn clue at what actually _was_ going on between them. 

One moment Eren was melting in his arms, scent-marking him, relishing in the close contact between them and the next he was avoiding him like the fucking pest. It wasn’t like Levi didn’t understand where Eren was coming from - having to deal with a more than shitty hand that was given to him - but still Levi couldn’t deny the fact that it still irked him somewhat; having been ignored for an entire week. And how easy it had seemed for the brunette. All the while he was going around in circles, not knowing what he had done wrong. 

Tch. 

He took another sip of his scotch, having gradually slowed down in apprehension of Erwin’s interrogation that was sure to come.

What exactly was he supposed to tell the blond? He had no idea what was going through Eren’s head, much less what he thought about the whole fated mate thing – if that shit was even true. A small part of him was still in vehement denial over the whole idea of having a soulmate in general. It had nothing to do with Eren himself, one look at the sun-kissed skin and shining emerald green eyes was enough to conclude that he had hit the jackpot with the lovely omega. But then again he didn’t even know if Eren wanted to pursue this whole… _thing_. After all cooking dinner for him could be just that: a thank you and nothing more…

The only thing he _did_ know was the fact that Eren seemed to loathe alphas with every fiber of his being. And considering that, Levi highly doubted that the brat was the sort of person that ever wanted an alpha mate – fated or not. 

He frowned and glared at the coppery liquid that slushed around in his glass; ice cubes tinkling with every leisure movement of his wrist. He just couldn’t keep still, still being on edge over the entire situation. And while the conversation in his office had somewhat soothed the feeling of rejection that he had carried around with him the whole week, it couldn’t take away the lingering insecurity. 

Levi had no idea where he stood, what he wanted or what the teal-eyed brat wanted. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a tall figure slumping down in the chair next to him. “Didn’t take you for the type of person to run away from something, Levi” Erwin teased with a smug smirk on his lips. 

The ensuing glare Levi sent him could have frozen over the entire ocean and the voice he replied with was just as icy “I’m not running away from shit, caterbrows. Just needed a fucking head-start to tolerate the noisy **unwanted** prodding of a _certain someone_ ” and with that he downed his third – well technically fourth glass of scotch for tonight and tapped the bar impatiently for a refill. 

“I wouldn’t call it prodding Levi, I’d label it showing interest in my friend’s personal life.”

“You can shove your interest up your ass, Erwin.” Levi retorted. He was starting to feel the fuzz of the alcohol a little and that was the only thing that stopped his voice from being as snappy as he wanted it to be. 

Mike appeared again and wordlessly filled up his empty glass, then taking Erwin’s order and disappearing down the counter to prepare the blond’s drink. 

“So…” Erwin started; to which Levi just rolled his eyes; trying to focus on how the hell he was supposed to get out of this freaking interrogation or how he could possibly divert Erwin’s attention away from the obvious elephant in the room: Eren. 

“So Levi, tell me. Is your soulmate always this sassy or is it just when I’m around?”

Good thing his glass was empty, otherwise he might have actually embarrassed himself by choking on the liquid. 

He had completely forgotten about that. 

Levi couldn’t help the smirk that found its way onto his lips as he remembered the cheeky retort Eren had given Erwin in his office. Something had irked the brat greatly, judging by the scent of anger that had radiated off of him when the blond had barged into his office. But Levi still had no idea what. Though he was sure that Erwin knew - if his knowing smile was anything to go by. 

“No idea what you’re talking about there Erwin.” – “Oh, that in your office was nothing - you should have seen him at the hospital…” Erwin said smiling; purposely trailing off at the end, leaving the statement hanging in the open air and fuck, Levi knew that he was playing right into Erwin’s hands but he couldn’t help the low growl that escaped his throat as the realization hit him that Eren and Erwin had met before. And judging by the anger that had wafted through his office, Erwin must have done something. 

“What. The. Fuck. Did you do to him, shit-brows” he all but snarled at the grinning blond next to him. 

“Oh I just insinuated something that seemed to be _very_ much to his disliking, going by all the hissing he threw at me.” Erwin chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mirth as they awaited Levi’s reaction. 

Insinuated something? What could he possibly have insinuated that made Eren dislike him _that_ much? Did he say something about Arlert? 

“So you were just being your usual charming self then I assume?” Levi said, swirling the liquid in his glass again and feigning indifference. “No wonder he hissed at you.” He took another sip before staring his childhood-friend down. “Anything in particular you want to enlighten me about? Like what the fuck you were telling him?”

He tried to make it sound casual but Erwin’s raised eyebrow told him that he was anything but subtle with the annoyance in his tone.

“Like I said, I didn’t _tell_ him anything, just insinuated something. And Hanji was spot on with predicting his reaction. It was actually quite amusing to watch to be honest.” 

Anger boiled inside of him at Erwin’s reply; his inner alpha clawing its way to the surface – the alcohol not helping him with keeping it on its usual tight leash. How dare the fucker make fun of _his omega_. His mate - who has been through hell these past few days. 

Snarling he grabbed Erwin’s wrist painfully tight and growled “He is not here for your and shitty glasses’ goddamn amusement. He is a human being for fuck’s sake. Not a lab-rat, not a specimen and for sure not a toy for your entertainment!” 

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, realizing that his alpha had gotten the better of him. Releasing Erwin’s wrist he shot him another deathly glare and continued “I expected more of you Erwin.” 

Erwin furrowed his brows, rubbing his wrist absent-mindedly but stared right back into Levi’s gunmetal orbs. “Do you think so little of me?” he inquired: his tone calm, not letting on what he was truly thinking. Or maybe Levi was just too tipsy to realize it. 

Fuck, it wasn’t like he didn’t trust his best friends. But he had no clue what Hanji and Erwin were plotting, and going by what Erwin had revealed it looked like they were working together. Hanji had predicted Eren hissing at Erwin for something he said? What the fuck could he have told the brat that made him so angry? The only thing he could think of was saying something against the blond coconut but he highly doubted that Erwin would stoop so low, especially considering that Armin was in the hospital and Erwin was visiting in what he assumed to be his role as the university director. So what then? 

“Fuck. No… Erwin I don’t.” Exasperated, Levi ran his hand through his raven locks, before grabbing his drink again and facing the blond next to him. “Which is why I can’t make sense of what you are doing. Like what the fuck are you two plotting behind my back? And what the fuck was that in my office today?“

He sounded almost exhausted at the end. The week had taken its toll on his nerves and being constantly on edge hadn’t helped in the slightest. He had barely slept during the entire week, the itch and pull becoming too strong by the second day of Eren avoiding him. It had been a fucking roller-coaster ride and the end was still nowhere near in sight. Hell, he didn’t even know if Eren would actually show up tomorrow - or even text tonight. 

So far his cellphone had been eerily quiet and he was slowly starting to think that the brat would play him again. 

The hand on his shoulder had him flinch for a second before he raised his head to look at his best friend. “You’ve known me for how many years now Levi?” 

“20 fucking years, and don’t ask me how I survived that” he grumbled. – “And have I ever done something that wasn’t in your best interest?” 

He hated being lectured by Erwin of all people, but the blond was right. He had never done anything that wasn’t in Levi’s interest. Erwin had always been there for him – so had Hanji. Even when they had fallen out of touch, even during his worst – they had still helped him without questioning. 

Fuck. He hated it when Erwin was right. 

“No, you didn’t. But that doe-“ – “So do you think we don’t know what we are doing right now? We’ve known your stubborn, grumpy ass for years Levi, and we’re just looking out for you – in our own way. ” Erwin interrupted, his eyes piercing, his posture oozing confidence that left barely any room for questioning. 

He was about to retort that that still didn’t justify their meddling in his private life for fucks sake, when suddenly his cellphone dinged. At first his fuzzy mind didn’t even realize what the noise meant but then it dinged twice more and he scrambled for his phone. Three text messages from an unknown number… The brat actually _had_ some balls after all. 

He opened the message and snorted. 

**(21:33) Do you think they’re gonna hatch and fly away anytime soon?**  
**(21:33) I swear I saw one of them wiggle in your office.**  
**(21:34) It’s Eren btw.**

“Mind letting me in on the joke, Levi?”

Levi looked up into Erwin’s face and couldn’t help the snort and ensuing chuckle that made its way over his lips. Those caterpillars _did_ look like they were ready to hatch any second now and Erwin’s frown didn’t help much with the image. 

Smirking, he started typing his reply, ignoring Erwin’s questioning look. 

_(21:35) Any second now, it looksd like theyr’e merging._  
_(21:35) Ready for take-off_  
_(21:36) God, I dun want to know what hr looks likewithout tgem though_

He smiled but frowned when he realized that he was having a hard time spelling properly; his mind a bit fuzzy from the alcohol. Downing 5 glasses of scotch on an empty stomach hadn’t been his brightest idea, but honestly he didn’t care right now. Eren had actually texted him. He couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips as he remembered that he had to give the brat his address. 

_(21:37) Oh and brat, the address is: 63 S. Forest Street_  
_(21:37) Expect you to be tgere. 6pm sharpp!!!_

He put his phone on the counter, took another sip of his scotch and noticed Erwin’s curious gaze lingering on his phone. His voice was smooth and aloof as he asked his next question - but Levi knew him too damn well and wasn’t drunk enough not to realize that that was far from the truth “I’m assuming it was Eren?” - “Again, none of your damn business Erwin.” Levi grumbled, almost tempted to put his cellphone away, but then again he wanted to know if Eren replied. 

“Ah… young love” Erwin smiled teasingly and this time Levi couldn’t help but splutter as he took another sip of his scotch. Coughing and frowning he turned on the blond, his trade-mark glare making another appearance as he scowled at his best friend. “Dafuq Erwin?!”

“Oh apologies, should I have said fated love instead of young? You are indeed 30 already, so that might actually fit the whole thing better now that I think about it.” He replied smoothly, the ice cubes in his own drink tinkling as if to taunt Levi doubly. 

Fucking caterbrows and his goddamn teasing. He knew too damn well how to get a rise out of him and Levi sometimes hated and admired how smooth of a talker the blond could be. No wonder he got the position as a director, Levi could never stand all the politics that came with the title but Erwin didn’t seem to mind – rather he relished in it. 

“Don’t tell me shitty glasses actually convinced you of that retarded theory of hers? You do realize it’s complete and utter bullshit, right?” he groaned. But somehow he knew the answer already; otherwise Erwin wouldn’t be interrogating him on Hanji’s behalf right now. 

“Well… truth being told, I far from believed Hanji when she first came to me about it…” Levi’s snort interrupted his deep baritone voice, but he continued anyway “But seeing how you acted this past week, what you’ve done for him and how far you’ve gone for him already – without even properly knowing him or having held an actual conversation made me believe that there is something that connects you two. What it is I have no idea, but honestly Hanji’s theory didn’t seem so far off to me when you literally _told_ me his exact whereabouts without even blinking twice.” He glanced at Levi from the side and continued “You already threw most of your principles overboard for him - you do realize that, don’t you?”

Levi didn’t bother to reply. He just stared at his drink in contemplation; running his fingers over the smooth surface of the glass and sighing loudly.

Erwin was fucking right once again. 

He never really cared for having a mate or not – actually preferring not to have one. He wasn’t exactly the most _fun_ person to be around, knowing his own quirks and issues all too well. And the last thing he wanted to do was burden someone else with his baggage, hell, it had taken him years to get to the point where he was now and he’ll be damned if he dragged someone else down with him. 

Levi had never been truly attracted to someone else, of course he’d had relationships and fuck-buddies here and there, but it wasn’t like he actually felt something even remotely close to love for any of them. He liked them but that was it. It never went beyond a certain point with any of them - which was usually the reason why they broke up in the first place. He had briefly wondered if he was incapable of actually loving someone and at some point he had just accepted it as what it was. 

Which was why he had never bothered with thinking about having a mate, getting married or having kids. Just the thought of having some snot-nosed brats running around him had him recoil right in his seat. He never wanted to have kids, never wanted them to be born in this shitty society they lived in…

A low rumble diverted his attention away from his drink and his fuzzy mind focused on the image his inner alpha was showing him. 

Eren’s bright smiling face, lighting up the room like the sun he was; his eyes looking down towards his own body and when Levi’s eyes followed he couldn’t help how his heart clenched at the sight. Eren’s hands were folded protectively over the obvious swell of his stomach, his face relaxed into a happy smile as he looked up and met Levi’s gaze. 

_Fuck._

Fucking hell. 

Levi all but growled loudly, trying to shake himself from the vivid image his alpha had conjured. What was his shitty dynamic doing to him? 

He shook his head and downed the rest of his scotch, scowling at his own thoughts and where they seemed to be taking him. Erwin was right; he had thrown quite a few of his principles overboard for the lovely omega. Usually he would’ve never gotten involved in the mess he was in now, not even talking about the fact that he cared enough for the brat to check up on him and go out of his way to make sure he was safe and protected. 

It wasn’t like he was a cold-hearted bastard in general, he _did_ care. But in his own way – usually meaning the people never realized that he had helped in one way or the other. 

And then there was the fact that a part of him even considered the possibility of having Eren as a mate. Of keeping him around, of spoiling the brat to pieces, of giving him everything he ever wanted and more, of bringing out that gorgeous smile. 

Oh fuck, he was fucked. 

He had never even talked to the goddamn brat! He didn’t even know him! How the fuck could he imagine shit like that with someone he didn’t even know? What the hell was this shit even?

“Mind telling me how exactly you knew his precise whereabouts anyway?” Erwin’s curious voice woke him from his reverie and he glared at the blond. Like hell he would reveal that information to the two of them. 

He was about to tell the blond off again, when the dinging of his phone diverted his attention and without bothering to reply to Erwin’s question he snatched his phone to check the messages. 

**(22:45) Sorry was taking a shower**  
**(22:46) Oh dear god, that would be the creepiest thing ever.**  
**(22:47) Do you need a bail out of jail card yet?**

His pupils dilated upon reading the first message. Damn. Eren in the shower, droplets of water slowly running down his tanned skin, leaving a trail behind on his lower back as they dipped in between his plump lovely-… He cleared his throat and hopefully his mind with it and focused on replying without making any major spelling mistakes this time. 

He was too engrossed in typing his reply to concentrate on Erwin’s next question “So is it some sort of mental link between the two of you then?”

Absent-mindedly he hummed a “Mhmm”; not realizing his mistake just yet. Replying while sounding not tipsy proved to be more difficult than he thought it to be, so Eren’s next message popped up before he’d even had the chance to hit the send button. 

**(22:48) oh and… Sir, yes Sir!!**

Cheeky brat. 

His lips curled up into a smirk as he hit the send button. 

_(22:52) Creepy would be the understatement of the day. And I’d have to sit next to it… tch._  
_(22:55) Nah, I’m good so far brat, 5 glasses of scotch help with having to deal with him_

“So how does it work then Levi?” A part of his brain registered Erwin’s question, but his attention was clearly somewhere else, as he kept typing his next message. Still, his mouth opened without him even consciously wanting it to and he replied “Kinda like an internal GPS. I focus on him and I know where he is.”

 **(22:57) rather you than me ;)**  
_(22:57) or was it 6? I don’tt remember_  
**(22:58) how drunk are you levi? XD**  
_(23:00) Tch. I can handlr my liqwuor, brat._  
**(23:01) suuuuuure… certainly looks like it ;)**

He didn’t see the widening of Erwin’s eyes at his admission, too focused on sending his two next text messages – his drunken mind telling him it was a perfectly sound idea. 

_(23:05) and anywayy it’s nt like you can come runing in here with a towel wrapped around your legs and save my ass from tthis interrogaton_  
_(23:06) though it would be a lovely sight for sure_

He waited for Eren’s reply to come in, only to be disappointed when it didn’t appear straight away. Had he been too straight-forward? But the brat hadn’t seemed like the type to back off a challenge, so would he now? 

Levi looked up and found his glass filled again with his 6th or 7th scotch of the evening. Not like he cared at this point; he was already pretty drunk and unfortunately Erwin knew his alcohol tolerance quite well, but this time he fully registered the next question thrown at him. 

“So is it just the GPS or is there something else as well?” Erwin asked, still nursing his first drink of the evening; watching him with curious eyes. 

How the fuck did Erwin know that? _Oh._

_Oh. Fuck. No. shit._

This is why he hated drinking with Erwin. He always ended up saying too much. _Shit!_

He downed another glass of scotch in remorse and hissed “I’m not telling you anymore than thiss, caterbrows. Already told ya way too much anyway” his speech was beginning to slur with the liquor in his system starting to take effect. 

Erwin all but chuckled in response, the mirth still dancing around in his cobalt blue eyes. “Hmm, then why were you so extraordinarily grumpy the entire week? If you knew where he was you could always just go looking for him, no?”

“It goes both ways, shitty eyebrowws… he knows too. ‘t was how he avoided me the entire fucking week.” Levi admitted grumpily, preferring not to recall the feeling of rejection that got stronger with every single time Eren had avoided him on campus. 

“Interesting. So it’s a double-edged sword then? It can help bring you two together but it can also help you to avoid the other person” Erwin mused, clearly fascinated by the entire idea of them sharing a connection with each other. 

“Tch.” Levi didn’t bother to reply; staring at his refilled glass and the coppery liquid that swirled around inside before deciding that enough was enough. He couldn’t really think straight anymore and with how drunk he already was, he was doomed to spill everything to Erwin, and fuck that. So instead, he tapped the bar; waiting for Mike to come around and asked for his tab. 

“Leaving already Levi? Oh right, you have a date tomorrow. Be sure to give my greetings to dear Eren.” Erwin said laughing, motioning for Mike to refill his own drink. 

“Fuck off Captain America.” Levi grumbled while fishing out his wallet to pay. Leaving a generous tip for Mike he stood up slowly, swaying slightly with the sudden movement. Well fuck, he had more to drink than he anticipated. 

“You ok there Levi or do I need to call you a cab?” – “’M fine Erwin. It’s just a 5 minutes walk from ‘ere.” He slurred before pocketing his phone and making his way out of the bar. 

A gust of fresh wind blew through his hair as he stumbled outside; the cold air helping him arrange his messy thoughts slightly. It took him a moment to get his bearings, but then he started walking towards his apartment, all the while eyeing his phone whether or not a new message had come in. 

There wasn’t one. 

Fuck. He had scared the brat off after all. Fucking shit. ‘Way to go Levi’ he thought bitterly, throwing his phone on the bed upon entering his apartment. Eren must think he was an old pervert now. 

Sighing he decided that he desperately needed a shower. Begrudgingly, he plucked his phone from the top of the bed, connected the charger and set it on the nightstand. It took him longer than he would openly admit to anyone to get out of his clothes, his drunken fingers not wanting to coordinate properly. Annoyed and more than frustrated with himself he finally stepped under the hot stream of water; hoping that the water would clear his mind somewhat. 

In contrary to his hopes, the heat only seemed to intensify his drunken stupor, so before he could slip in the goddamn shower or something, he decided to get out and just go to bed. Cursing himself for his own carelessness and foolishness once again when eyeing his phone, he toweled himself of half-hazardly and then all but stumbled to his bed. Before he knew it he was out like a light, missing the two dings that went off to his right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like the texting, and drunk Levi. I had a bit of trouble writing the texting tbh, i'm not that great when it comes to that (text-flirting especially coughcough). Again let me know what you think :D


	15. Sweet Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HeyHey~~
> 
> So i decided that i would be writing shorter chapters and try to post and update more regularly. Writing a 7 or 8k chapter just takes a loong time until i'm truly satisfied with it - especially since i usually only have the outline of the chapter ready and have spontaneous ideas to add and/or want to put too many things into one chapter. So yeah, shorter chapters it is. 
> 
> Anyway here's the new update - i hope you guys enjoy and do let me know what you think. 
> 
> Texting Eren is **bold**  
>  Texting Levi is _cursive_
> 
> Also, [you can follow me on tumblr if you want to. ](http://choucosplay.tumblr.com)

Still oozing confidence, Eren continued to stride down the hallway, away from the addicting scent that still lingered in his nose. As much as a part of him hated having to leave the office that smelt so much like Levi – _‘like home’_ his omega supplied – the other part of him was grateful for the time to sort his thoughts and feelings. Their talk had been an overwhelming roller-coaster ride for him and his feelings hadn’t really become any clearer. All he knew now was that it felt like it was impossible to stay away from the raven. Just a brief meeting with him had been enough to alleviate all the stress he had been feeling this past week; a heavy burden being lifted off his shoulders. 

And despite Erwin’s sudden and more than annoying appearance, he was actually quite pleased with the outcome of his plan – Levi had accepted his offer after all. He would see him again. And tomorrow to boot! While his inner omega purred with happiness at the thought of being able to meet with his alpha so soon again, Eren himself was getting more and more nervous the longer he thought about it. 

While yes, he was excited to see Levi again, he had no idea what he ought to do or say or how he should act in general around the raven. Not even mentioning if he somehow managed to ruin the man’s kitchen… 

A sudden shiver ran down his spine at the idea of having to face the raven’s wrath for dirtying his kitchen. He seemed to have a clear distaste for unkempt or dirty things and just thinking about getting tomato sauce on his kitchen counter gave Eren goose bumps. He would just have to try and keep everything clean even while cooking. Normally he would just wash everything afterwards, but that somehow didn’t seem like a good option when it came to Levi. 

His thoughts were still revolving around how to go about cooking without making a mess, when the realization hit him that he would actually have to text the raven tonight. “Oh fuck” he groaned out loud, running his hand through his messy hair and trying to figure out on what the hell he was supposed to text him. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t know how to text – heck that was like half his life at this point – but this was Levi! How was he supposed to start a conversation with him that wasn’t completely awkward? He didn’t even know him, they hadn’t even held a proper conversation with each other for fuck’s sake; not counting the one this afternoon which was basically just him apologizing to a silently fuming Levi for his bratty behavior. 

And despite not truly knowing the raven, Eren had somehow been able to feel the anger and hurt wafting over to him. He had hurt the raven and that knowledge was honestly much harder to digest than him being angry. Eren had predicted the anger, expected disappointment or reluctance to even wanting to talk to him – but hurt? He hadn’t been prepared for that; and even though Levi’s entire demeanor had screamed indifference his silver orbs had glinted with a hint of pain. The dark circles under his eyes hadn’t gone unnoticed either and had Eren wonder if he wasn’t the only one that couldn’t sleep properly. 

It actually wouldn’t be surprising; after all they were both able to feel the pull towards each other, so it would keep Levi as much awake at night as it had Eren. Still, he never wanted to hurt the raven with his behavior and while a part of him was wondering if he had just imagined the look in his alpha’s eyes, the other half of him was quite certain that it was indeed true. Somehow Levi seemed to care enough about him to get hurt by his actions. But that couldn’t be it, right? He was just getting lost in his daydreams again. Levi didn’t even know him and even if they had this weird fated mate connection going on there was still no way in hell that the man _cared_ about him right?

Sighing he slumped down on his bed in the dormitory. There was no point in contemplating whether Levi had feelings for him or not – no matter what type of feelings they were. He didn’t know and unless he asked the raven straight up he wouldn’t get an answer and like hell he was going to do that. So there was honestly just no point. He should rather focus on his own feelings and problems. 

Another sigh slipped over his lips as he rolled over to the side. ‘Isn’t it just fine the way it is?’ he wondered while closing his eyes. Wasn’t it just fine that he _didn’t_ know what his feelings for Levi were? There was no point in losing his head over something that didn’t just happen overnight. Feelings were complicated and they didn’t just appear and disappear like magic. So couldn’t he just take his time and get to know the man and then see where it goes?  
Opening his lids to take in his bare room, boxes still neatly stacked in the same corner they had been on Monday; he decided to just take one step after the other. Getting settled and comfortable with his new life seemed like a good start as any. 

Still hesitating a bit, Eren got up from his bed and crossed over to the pile of boxes taunting him. This was everything he had, everything from his past, his old life. All the good and the bad memories neatly packed away. Was he really ready to open the Pandora’s box? 

While he highly doubted that the movers had taken anything that hadn’t been in his room or the bathroom he used, there was still a chance that something lurked in one of these boxes that he didn’t want to see… 

Fuck it! He should just get it over with and face it head on. That’s what he always did after all, headstrong and determined his Mom used to call him. 

Smiling fondly at the memory of his mother looking down at him, scolding him lightly for his trademark rash behavior, he grabbed the first box and opened it. He gasped, staring silently as tears started to well up in his eyes, his fingers shaking slightly as he reached into the box and grasped the picture frame. His mother’s bright sunny smile and sparkling loving eyes looked at him from the picture taken when he was younger; lighting a warm fire inside of him and suddenly he was glad that he had started unpacking the boxes. 

Clutching the picture to his chest he looked into the box to see what else was in there. Another picture-frame stared up at him – this one of him and his mother together when he was a small boy. Both smiling brightly into the camera, laughing merrily at something someone must have said. He took both pictures, stood up and placed one on his nightstand and the other on his desk. Smiling fondly at the small addition to his room he felt encouraged to unpack the rest of the boxes as well. 

An hour later he sat in his room that looked so much more like a home now than it had before; a small smile tugging at his lips at the thoughts that this dorm room was his now. No hiding, no more beatings, no more pain and suffering. And most importantly no painful memories attached. This was _his_ now. A new start; _a new beginning_. 

Flopping down on his mattress, he picked up his phone, nervously chewing on his bottom lip as he started typing the first thing that came to his mind. Just be yourself Eren and it will be fine. He quickly pressed send before he could think twice about it and followed it up by a ‘It’s Eren btw’ – just in case Levi was expecting someone else to text him. 

Suddenly deciding that he’d much rather distract himself then wait for Levi to answer, he grabbed his things and hopped into the shower that came with his dorm room. Setting the warmth to almost scalding, he started scrubbing the suds out of his hair, worrying if his text messages might have come across badly to the raven. Technically speaking he _did_ just insult Levi’s friend, so maybe Levi wouldn’t really appreciate that? Maybe his impression of the raven had been wrong? But his gut feeling had told him that it would be ok, so he just went with it. 

But… what if Levi didn’t reply? He was out drinking with his friend after all and if Eren was going to be honest, he never bothered with replying to texts when he was out with friends. So it would only be normal for Levi not to either right? But somehow he expected the raven to, not just because he had promised to send him his address, no his omega was silently demanding for the alpha to reply to him. 

Shaking his head at his dynamics antics and weird expectations he rinsed himself and got out of the shower. After drying himself as slowly as he possibly could to give Levi more time to reply, he put on some boxer-briefs before hesitantly peeking out into his room. His eyes immediately fell on his phone and he let out a small yelp as he noticed that it was blinking!

He scrambled to get to his phone as quickly as possible and once his hands held the device almost triumphantly he unlocked the screen to stare at his notifications. Grumbling at the amount of stupid notifications that filled his screen, he instead opened whatsapp, looking for the chat with Levi; his heart skipping a beat as he noticed the icon telling him that he had 5 new messages. 5! Not just one, 5!!

He eagerly opened them and stared at the screen as his eyes hungrily drank in what the Levi had to say. 

_(21:35) Any second now, it looksd like theyr’e merging._  
(21:35) Ready for take-off  
(21:36) God, I dun want to know what hr looks likewithout tgem though  
(21:37) Oh and brat, the address is: 63 S. Forest Street  
(21:37) Expect you to be tgere. 6pm sharpp!!! 

He snorted out loud at Levi’s reply; picturing the blond brute immediately without his bushy eyebrows and ended up bursting out laughing. Oh god that would be insanely creepy. 

He glanced over Levi’s messages again and wondered briefly how much the raven had to drink for him not to spell properly. Levi seemed like the type to give a fuck about things like this – with him being and English literature professor and all.

Grinning giddily he started typing his reply, before adding a cheeky ‘Sir. Yes, Sir!’. He smiled happily at the fact that Levi had not seemed put off by his text but rather seemed to enjoy the distraction. His eyes fell on the timestamp of Levi’s replies and his grin widened impossibly. Levi had answered almost instantly. He almost wanted to smack himself for having had the stupid idea of taking a shower and not waiting at least a few minutes. Well, maybe he would reply just as quickly now?

When the answer didn’t come right away, he nervously opened instagram to scroll through his feed and divert his attention away from Levi’s texts. And while it felt like a small eternity the time stamp of Levi’s next reply told him that it had only taken the raven 4 minutes to get back to him. He happily looked at the new message and couldn’t help but snort again. 

_(22:52) Creepy would be the understatement of the day. And I’d have to sit next to it… tch._

Levi somehow didn’t seem too happy with having to sit next to Erwin – at least an Erwin with no eyebrows and Eren counted that as a clear win. Dislike didn’t even come close to the term Eren would use for the blond and he still didn’t get how Levi could be friends with him. But by the looks of it at least the two of them weren’t an item and if Eren’s gut feeling was right they had never been so – despite Erwin’s clear advances on Levi. A hiss slipped out at the memory of Erwin’s multiple infuriating insinuations. Couldn’t the blond just get a clue and fuck off?

His phone dinged again and brought him out of his loathing thoughts about his university director. 

_(22:55) Nah, I’m good so far brat, 5 glasses of scotch help with having to deal with him_

Eren couldn’t help but smirk triumphantly at that, Levi was most definitely _NOT_ enjoying himself with Erwin. But 5 glasses of scotch? Holy fuck that was a lot! And his last two texts had been surprisingly well written. Was that why it had taken him 3 minutes to write the second one? Eren giggled as he imagined a drunken scowling Levi concentrating on sending a properly spelled message to him. 

Smiling to himself he replied instantly with ‘rather you than me’ and adding a winky smile just for the heck of it. 

_(22:57) or was it 6? I don’tt remember_

He laughed a little at Levi’s lack of ability to count his own drinks and quickly typed: 

**(22:58) how drunk are you levi? XD**  
_(23:00) Tch. I can handlr my liqwuor, brat._  
**(23:01) suuuuuure… certainly looks like it ;)**

He smiled at their little banter and waited for the raven’s next reply. He still had the chat open so his eyes widened ridiculously as Levi’s next two messages popped up. 

_(23:05) and anywayy it’s nt like you can come runing in here with a towel wrapped around your legs and save my ass from tthis interrogaton  
(23:06) though it would be lovely sight for sure _

A high-pitched whine echoed through the room as he read and re-read the messages that he didn’t believe he had actually just received from the alpha. Levi thought him wrapped in nothing but a towel would be a lovely sight? His cheeks burned while his omega purred happily at the compliment his alpha had just given him. 

But Eren wasn’t really sure how to react. 

Levi was quite obviously drunk, so did he really mean that? Did that mean that he thought he was… beautiful? And what should he even reply to that? 

He buried his face in his hands and to his dismay let out another low whine. Fuck, his omega was having another field day with him. He just wanted to think in peace about the whole situation without having his secondary gender urging him to do something he himself might regret later!

Spending the next 20 minutes with an internal back and forth he finally felt like he had a better grip on the situation and his omega. It took him some time to think about what exactly he wanted to reply to the raven and how he wanted to come across. He had to remind himself to just be himself and do what felt most natural to him without overthinking every little thing. That just wasn’t like him. And following the flow of the conversation, their flirting and banter he just decided to go for it again. 

Determined, he picked up his phone and typed one last sentence before deciding that he would not look at his phone until the next morning. With his heart in his throat he pressed on ‘send’, staring at the message as it popped up in their chat. His heart was hammering as if he was running a marathon and he had to force himself to put his phone away after adding a short goodnight. His cheeks were burning brightly and the last message he had sent was still replaying in his head as he slumped into the pillows and slowly managed to fall asleep. 

**(23:34): I’m pretty sure you’d much rather see me without the towel…  
(23:34): Sweet dreams Levi ;) **

****  
Eren woke up feeling quite refreshed, considering he hadn’t slept a wink these past few days. Furrowing his brows he unconsciously reached out to their connection, not sure if it was still there – but it was, just more subdued. Meeting Levi yesterday must have helped, the pull was still present but nowhere near as suffocating as it had been the last few days. 

He let out a content sigh, turned around and decided that today he would just laze around in his room and not do anything. He was way too exhausted from this week’s stress his sleepy mind provided; trying to find a sound enough reason for him to stay in bed. But wait. There was something today, wasn’t there? His mind was too hazy, sleep already taking over again before he had the time to contemplate on what it was that he was forgetting… 

****  
Opening his lids for a second time that day his mind was way clearer; realizing quickly that it was already past noon. Damn he hadn’t slept that long in a while. 

Stretching, he turned around to look at the time on his phone – only to remember the last text he had sent to Levi. A renewed blush spread across his cheeks, turning them a light crimson as he took his phone into his hand. He took a deep breath, unlocked the screen and tentatively opened his whatsapp… 

Only to be left utterly disappointed. Levi hadn’t replied, and it was already 1pm. He'd had ample time to reply to him… so why hadn’t he?

Had he been to straight-forward? Too flirty? 

Maybe Levi hadn’t been interested in him like that after all? Maybe he had just been teasing or it was just his drunken self speaking? What if it was? Had he just interpreted too much into the signals Levi had been sending him? Was he being let down gently? But no, Levi wouldn’t do that right? The raven was more like the type to just straight up tell you that he didn’t like you, so he wouldn’t use stupid tactics like not replying to messages.

But Levi surely had read the texts… so did he just not know what to reply to them? He probably thought he was a slut or something, flirting with him like that without even knowing him… Fuuuuck!! 

Eren groaned and ran his hands through his messy bed-hair. Had he just messed this entire thing up? Of course, leave it to Eren fucking Jäger to mess everything up with a single stupid text. 

He smacked himself on the forehead for his own stupidity and boost in confidence that led to him taking their banter to a whole different level. What had he been thinking? If anyone would be avoiding the other after this fiasco it would be Levi. But… oh fuck! The dinner! He had to go over to Levi’s apartment this evening and cook for him…

Talk about fucking awkward. 

Groaning loudly he got up to put on some clothes. He had promised to cook for Levi after all and the cooking was meant as an apology for his shitty behavior; and while the confrontation might be awkward as fuck, Eren was still a man of his words. He would make the most delicious lasagna Levi had ever tasted, even if Levi was rejecting him. He felt a pang of sadness at the thought of his perceived alpha rejecting him, mixed with a hint of frustration to why Levi couldn't just be upfront about it and leave him hanging like this.

Eren huffed in exasperation as he grabbed his wallet and headed out to buy ingredients, knowing exactly that Levi not replying would haunt him for the entire fucking day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i wanted to post Eren's POV and reaction to Levi's drunken texts hence the rewriting - i hope you guys didn't mind/liked it - do let me know what you thought^^
> 
> And once again thank you so so much for all the support, love and feedback i am getting for this FF - it's still a bit unbelievable that people like my writing and all the love you're giving me keeps me motivated. So thank all of you so so much <3


	16. Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guuuuuys I'm finally back~~  
> I'm so sorry that it took me forever to update but i had a lot going on in my personal life that kept me from writing so yeah >< i hope to have it all sorted out soon but in the meantime here's a new chapter. 
> 
> A huge huge thanks goes to dear holicham for agreeing to be my beta-reader for all my fanfictions. I'm really grateful to her as i do feel kind of insecure about my writing sometimes ><
> 
> Do let me know what you thought about it, i'm always happy to read comments :)

Levi was furiously scrubbing away at the same seemingly spotless corner of his kitchen for the past 5 minutes, huffing and cursing quietly under his breath. Fucking four-eyes. And fucking shitty eyebrows. They could just go fuck themselves. Rot in hell for all he cared. 

He _knew_ that they had been plotting something behind his back; though what exactly he wasn’t certain of… yet. Tch. Another reason why they could just go screw themselves over and over again. 

He was also keenly aware of the fact that it was his own damn fault for getting so stupidly wasted yesterday that he’d spilled the beans to Erwin about his weird connection to Eren, but still. Hanji dragging him out of his apartment at the crack of dawn when he was still hung-over as fuck to run some goddamn fucking tests definitely wasn’t how he had planned his day to go. And no amount of calling her names, threatening to disembowel her or murder her in cold blood had been enough to deter her. 

Not only had the maniac that he had the unfortunate luck to call a friend pressed on running his blood work, no she insisted on him having a goddamn fucking CT of all things. All because caterbrows couldn’t keep his mouth shut and found the whole thing ‘intriguing’. He was so fucking done with both of them. 

The only reason why he had gone along with Hanji’s bag of craziness was her threat of speaking poorly of him in front of Eren and as much as he hated to admit it that had actually gotten a rise out of him. Mainly punching Hanji straight in the arm and despite her more than annoying whining afterwards, he couldn’t come to regret it. Levi threw a mean punch if he wanted to and he had still gone relatively easy on her; and while he condoned unnecessary violence it had been positively satisfying. As an added bonus it had made Hanji shut right up - which in itself was such a rare treat that he had to savor it while it lasted. 

Fucking crazy lunatic. As if he needed a stupid CT, for fuck’s sake. 

Huffing out loud, Levi continued to scrub down the kitchen, pondering over the possibility of something actually _having_ changed. While he would never admit it out loud a part of him kind of wanted to know if something in his brain _had_ changed. Fated fucking mates or not, having a connection like this was definitely weird. The damn thing was getting stronger the more he started to think of Eren as his omega - which left him wondering how much it would change if they actually decided to be together. 

A shudder had run down his spine at the thought of placing a mating bite on the beautiful tan neck that was Eren’s. _Fuck, his alpha wanted that._ More than anything else. 

Still, he’d rather have it be him that’s getting prodded and analyzed than his omega. 

There it was again. _His omega._ Levi had been thinking of Eren like that for the entire fucking day. 

He sighed and threw the sponge he had been using into the sink, stalking his way over to the cupboard to get out the bleach. ‘This kitchen better be fucking sparkling before Eren got here’ he grumbled, still frustrated with himself for not having had better control over his drunken alter ego and at Erwin for knowing when to ask the right questions. 

Fucking Erwin. If he hadn’t been wasted as fuck, he’d never so much as hinted at what was going on with Eren. He’d taken it to the grave with him before letting Hanji out of all people know. He had told her as much at the hospital; threatening her that if he ever found his or Eren’s name mentioned anywhere or so much of a hint of who they were she would pay dearly. 

“Neither me nor Eren want of a bunch of crazy ass scientist treating us like shitty test subjects, got it?!” and undeterred by Hanji’s almost offended expression he had added for good measure “I’ve only gone along with this shit because fuck knows why but I actually do consider you a friend, but don’t push your luck Zoe”; punctuating ever last word, before marching out of the hospital. 

His frustration at the two of them hadn’t ebbed away though, not during his drive back to his apartment and not even while cleaning as much of his apartment as he could in the short time that was left before Eren would arrive. 

The least he could do was make sure that the kitchen was up to par, Eren would be using it after all, and he didn’t want to come across as a messy alpha that couldn’t take care of things. 

He let out a long sigh, reminding himself not to go too overboard with the bleach; he wanted the kitchen to smell of him after all and not like the damn hospital he had just come from. His inner alpha agreed fully-heartedly; wanting to surround the omega with its scent as much as possible. Levi grunted at the antics of his secondary gender – he just didn’t want Eren to feel uncomfortable in his apartment - and his kitchen smelling freshly sterilized as if he had just committed a murder and washed away the evidence would most definitely _not_ help him feel at home at all. Oh and how much Levi wanted Eren to feel at home at his place. 

Goddamn it. The brat had him wrapped around his little finger without doing much of anything. He was fucking whipped and he knew it. Eren could ask for anything and he’d give it to him. 

Finally happy with the now immaculately sparkling kitchen, he stored the cleaning products back away in the cupboard and headed for his bathroom to take a shower. Standing under the scalding water he tried his best to relax and forget the shit Hanji had pulled today. The hot steam at least helped clear some of his thoughts and frustrations away, leaving a surprisingly nervous flutter behind in his stomach. 

Levi fucking Ackerman was actually nervous about something. He almost couldn’t believe his own thoughts, but then again this was Eren and it wasn’t just his inner alpha that was attracted to the lovely omega. He wanted to know more about the brat, wanted to get to know him and make him smile. And if their banter yesterday was anything to go by, he would actually enjoy the conversations with him, the brat could hold his own and Levi had to give it to him for that. Especially considering that he wasn’t the most sociable and fun person to be around. 

Recalling the last evening while toweling himself off, had him ruefully thinking about the last text messages he had sent to Eren. His stupid drunken self had stepped out of line and with Hanji barging in this morning he didn’t even have the chance to properly apologize to the brunette - he hadn’t even had the time to grab his phone before Hanji had dragged him off. So there was no real way for him to text the brat an apology; after all he didn’t want Eren to feel awkward or weirded out by coming to his place, _if_ he was coming at all after his blunder last night. 

Levi sighed and buttoned up his dress shirt, combed his hair into his usual side part and slipped into the black jeans that he knew went well with the burgundy color he had chosen for his shirt. He nervously brushed through his hair with one hand, staring at his own reflection; contemplating whether or not this was too much or not enough at all. He wanted to look fresh and sharp for Eren but then again he had no idea if he was reading too much into this whole ‘cooking-for-him’ thing. Tch. This wasn’t like him. What the fuck was wrong with him? 

If Levi was one thing then definitely not the type to fret over his own goddamn appearance. This was fine and it wasn’t like he had the time to change or anything. That thought prompted him to look down at his watch before putting it on his wrist. 5:58 pm. Well fuck. 

He hurriedly exited the bathroom and made his way into the kitchen, trying to distract himself by making a cup of tea. What if Eren didn’t show? Was he in for another week of avoidance on the brat’s behalf? Fuck it. Just when he was about to focus on their internal connection to see whether or not he was in for a rejection tonight, he suddenly heard his doorbell ring.

He spared a quick glance at his watch and couldn’t help the smirk that wormed its way onto his face: 6pm sharp. The brat had taken him by his word. 

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door; and there stood Eren. The sweet scent of earl grey and cinnamon surrounded him within seconds and without knowing what was happening, his entire body relaxed; the tension visibly ebbing away and the hint of a tiny smile curved around his lips. _Eren had come after all._

Levi took a quick moment to appreciate his brat’s appearance, an emerald green dress shirt and tight black pants were hugging his lithe frame perfectly, accentuating the green in his lovely eyes. His hair was messy as usual but Levi doubted that the brown locks were as easy to tame as his raven ones. 

“Hi” Eren’s voice brought his focus back to his face, searching it questioningly for the sharp note in the other’s tone. Frowning, he was about to say something but Eren beat him to the punch “Are you going to let me in? Can’t really make lasagna out here now can I?” 

“Sure, come in” he replied in a surprisingly smooth voice, his own irritation at the way Eren was acting only showing in the slightly deepening frown that was now set on his face. All excitement had oozed away in the exact moment he realized that Eren didn’t seem to want to be here. And while the scent of his omega had relaxed him at first, he could now clearly smell the lingering hints of irritation on the brat as Eren passed him by and made a bee-line into the kitchen without so much as a single word. 

Levi stood there dumbfounded; hand still on the doorknob as he tried to process Eren’s attitude. So the brat was angry with him for his more than forth-coming behavior yesterday. He had basically told Eren that he desired him – but had that led him to believe that he was only interested in him as an omega? As a quick fuck and nothing more? Fuck. He had seriously screwed this whole thing up, hadn’t he?

He could tell that Eren would rather be somewhere else but he had still showed up, so the brat was keen on keeping promises, but would he give him the chance to apologize for his shitty behavior and allow him to explain himself? If there was one thing he wanted then it was not being ignored and avoided by Eren for another damn week. He wasn’t sure if he or his inner alpha could handle that. 

Hearing the sound of what he could only assume to be Eren hitting the settings on his oven and starting to chop onions, he cautiously made his way into the kitchen. The frown still prevalent on his face, he walked over to where he had left his half-made tea and busied himself with finishing it. 

The tension between them was so thick that one could easily cut it with the knife Eren was handling expertly next to him. They might have been standing next to each other but to Levi it felt like they were miles apart. 

He cleared his throat slightly and glanced over at Eren, who seemed much immersed in what he was doing before asking “Would you like a cup of tea as well Eren?”

“No thanks” came the curt reply that had Levi’s frown almost set into a scowl. “Anything else you would like to have? I think I do have some soft drinks Hanji left at my place, or would you prefer water?” 

“Water is fine” Eren answered, while frying the onions and adding two types of meat to the pan. Eren busied himself with taking the lasagna noodles out of the package and occasionally stirring the sizzling ingredients in the pan, while Levi wordlessly turned to a cupboard on his right to retrieve a glass for him. 

Filling it up from the tap, he tried again to start some semblance of a conversation. Anything would be better than the weird tension that was going on between them right now. 

“So what have you been up to today?” 

After a quick pause, a slight frown making its way onto the brunette’s feature and a little huff, Eren answered in a rather cold detached tone “Not much” making Levi’s level of frustration rise considerably. 

He wasn’t really sure why the fuck he had been so goddamn looking forward to this when Eren was making it clear to him that this was more of a chore to him than anything else. His own scent had turned sour with disappointment mixed with a hint of bitterness, and he had to stop himself from slamming the glass of water down on the counter next to Eren. It didn’t look like the brat was very keen on talking to him or hearing him out, if his sigh of annoyance was anything to go by. 

“I’ll leave you to it then, wouldn’t want me to bother you any further now, would we.” he replied in an equally icy tone, before grabbing his cup of tea and making his way to the living room. He was too disappointed to listen properly but he heard Eren mutter something along the lines of “staring at my phone all day waiting… fo… an…” but he couldn’t make out the rest as he was already out of the kitchen. 

He let himself slump down onto the couch and ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. What the fuck was he supposed to do? This was like a shitty repetition of his entire last week with Eren avoiding him and it had set his nerves on edge much more quickly than usually. What was the point of Eren coming to cook for him as an apology if he was being treated like vermin again? 

This was far from how he had pictured their evening to go at all and he had really wanted this to go well, plus he was horrible at this whole trying to pursue ‘something with meaning’. The more time he had to himself to think about the entire thing, the more it dawned on him that he actually _did_ want to pursue the shitty brat. Or at least see where this whole thing would take them. Every last instinct of his body was screaming at him that Eren was the one, but he wanted to know the person, not the omega, not the secondary gender but the real human being that was Eren. And by the looks of it that wasn’t going to happen. 

His scent turned impossibly sour at the realization and he had to try his hardest not to let it permeate his entire apartment. He didn’t want to bother Eren with his lack of control over the rejection he was giving him. They would have to spend at least a few more hours together and even if the omega rejected him, Levi didn’t want to leave behind a bad impression. 

Frustrated with the entire situation, he walked over to the cabinet where he stored the liquor, took out a bottle of wine and his favorite scotch; setting the wine bottle on the beautifully set dinner table that he now stared at in contempt. He had even brought out some candles. What the actual fuck was wrong with him. 

He turned on his heel, sat down on the couch again and started nursing a glass of scotch; the slight burn taking his mind away from the shitty situation he found himself in. It wasn’t like he was planning on getting wasted or drinking more than a glass, he just needed something to take the edge away. 

He could hear Eren putting something in the oven in the kitchen and wondered if the brat had rushed to get away from him as soon as possible. Maybe he wasn’t even staying to eat the lasagna together with him? After all he had only promised to cook for him as an apology, there was never any mention of him staying and having dinner with him. 

At this point Levi was fully expecting it, but still. He wouldn’t let him go without at least setting things straight and apologizing to him. Despite all his students saying something different, he was a decent human being after all. 

Sighing, he waited for Eren to come out into the living room – he was clearly finished with the dish that was now baking in the oven. But Eren wasn’t coming out. 

Fine then. 

Finishing his glass of scotch he got up, smoothened out his dress shirt and walked into the kitchen, preparing himself for the conversation to come. The closer he got the more obvious the slight hint of distress coming from there became. Taking another deep breath he entered the kitchen, his gunmetal orbs immediately finding the teal-ones that stared right back at him. 

Eren had his arms crossed in front of his chest; his discomfort obvious in his protective stance. Levi could tell that the brat had no idea on what to do with himself in Levi’s apartment. He looked torn between running away and sticking around because his pride wouldn’t let him go back on his promise. 

Levi was the first to break the awkward silence. “You know, I’m sorry ok? I’m sorry for texting you those things yesterday, I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything and shit. I suck at this you know? I’m just… I’m just sorry ok?” 

Eren’s eyes widened in what seemed to be surprise but before he could say anything Levi decided that he had to get it all out in one go “And you see, I couldn’t text you. Fucking shitty glasses dragged me out at the crack of dawn and I left my stupid phone behind. And then I got back here at 5 and had to get everything ready so I just didn’t have the time to text you, so I’m sorry ok? I was drunk and I shouldn’t have said that to you so yeah, here I am. And if you haven’t noticed, brat, I also suck at apologies, so this is as good as it’s going to get.”

He ran his hand through his raven locks again; averting his eyes from the brunette that was standing in front of him, not seeing how something seemed to have clicked for Eren. 

After a slight pause he almost couldn’t believe his own ears as Eren calmly asked “So does that mean that you wouldn’t like to see me barging into a bar only wearing a towel?”

Eren’s tone was teasing, almost playfully so and Levi couldn’t help but frown again. “What?” he asked in a more than exasperated tone at the whiplash that Eren’s reactions were giving him.

“I asked, ‘so does that mean that you wouldn’t like to see me barging into a bar only wearing a towel?’” Eren repeated their banter from yesterday, almost innocently so; his eyes twinkling with mirth.

Confused as to where Eren was going with this and more than frustrated with what the fuck was going on, Levi retorted “Of fucking course I would. But that’s not the point now is it?”

The scent of pleased omega burst in the room, and Eren only laughed lightly; replying with renewed warmth in his eyes “So you didn’t read the reply then, did you?”

“What fucking reply are you talking about, brat?” Levi’s frustration was evident by the way he was losing his patience but he had no clue what Eren was on about. 

“The reply I sent you yesterday night. “ Eren answered smiling. 

“Reply?” Eren had replied to him? 

His eyes widened slightly as confusion turned into realization. He abruptly turned on his heels and started marching to his bedroom. If Eren had replied to him yesterday evening then his sour mood made more sense. Eren must have thought similar things to what he was pondering about in the living room just minutes earlier: that Levi hadn’t replied on purpose, that he couldn’t be bothered to reply and considering that they kind of had a date set on the very same day that must have worried the omega quite a bit. Fuck.

‘And fuck Hanji, while we’re at it’ he thought bitterly. 

He had to keep himself in check from flat out storming into his bedroom. He quickly grabbed his phone from the nightstand, turned and wanted to rush back into the kitchen where he assumed Eren would be waiting. Too focused on opening their chat, he almost walked right into the brat that was leaning against the doorframe – not having noticed that Eren had followed him to his bedroom door. 

“Oh shit, sor-“ his words died when he read the messages that Eren had sent him; his throat going dry at the implications and the innuendo thrown at him. No wonder Eren had felt insecure and worried. It must have come across as a rejection - him not texting back to _this._

Eren had flirted back. And how he had flirted back.

After the initial shock ebbed away, his eyes scanning the text again just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, a renewed smirk started tugging at the corner of his lips as he glanced upwards to see waiting emerald eyes watching his reaction carefully. Eren seemed a bit apprehensive, but Levi figured that this had more to do with his potential reaction than anything else. 

Eren was afraid of getting rejected. Silly brat. As if he would ever reject him. 

Levi couldn’t help but rake his eyes over the lithe body standing mere inches away from him; picturing it in all its naked glory as he had never allowed himself to do – but now Eren was prompting him to. Tanned skin awaiting his touch eagerly, alluring thighs pressed on either side of his head, luscious round globes spread enticingly for him - a more than willing meal ready to be devoured. 

His pupils dilated at the vivid image his mind had conjured for him and he couldn’t help but lick his lips while making eye-contact again; taking a step forward while eyeing Eren like a predator “You have _no idea_ brat how much I’d like to see that.” 

The ensuing hitch in Eren’s breathing was more than satisfying; the undertone of cinnamon and vanilla intensifying as the sweet scent of his omega permeated the air. His own scent spiked in reply, arousal and attraction mixing and making his scent richer, trying to lull the omega closer. He was effectively pressing Eren against the doorframe now, their chests almost touching, but that was all it took for a shiver to run down his spine. 

Levi tilted his head up and ran a thumb over the luscious lips that were pulling him closer, enticing him to lean in and taste. 

“M-maybe that can be arranged” 

He could feel the lips moving under his thumb as Eren whispered the raspy reply. And fuck, if that didn’t do things to him.

“Oho? Maybe I should take you up on that offer then, hmm?” Levi purred huskily, leaning in closer; cupping Eren’s face and tilting it slightly. Their breaths were mingling, lips mere inches apart, and Levi took a moment to appreciate the slightly debauched look on Eren’s face, before leaning in to close the final pesky distance that lingered between them. 

**‘BEEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP’**

Both of them jerked apart immediately as the alarm on his goddamn oven started shrieking annoyingly. They were both staring wide-eyed at each other, realizing what they were just about to do. A more than lovely blush spread across Eren’s cheeks as a reaction and when the brat bashfully looked into the direction of the kitchen, Levi reluctantly moved away to give him some space. 

His hand was still lingering on Eren’s cheek though and he couldn’t help but stroke over his lips one more time, wishing he could’ve at least stolen a brief kiss before he huskily said “We better make sure that supposedly bad-ass lasagna isn’t burnt” a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips again, knowing exactly that Eren would rise to the banter. 

“Supposedly my ass! You will end up begging me to make this for you after having had a taste!” Teal orbs flared with confidence and pride and Levi couldn’t help but chuckle at the determination that was visible on the brat’s features. 

“So one taste will only leave me begging for more then, hm?” he asked in his smooth baritone voice, leaving Eren shivering slightly when a pale finger danced across his lips once more and he realized that Levi might not actually be talking about the lasagna after all. But too soon the hand was gone, and Levi’s smirk grew at the response he was getting. So responsive. 

“Then we just have to make sure I get a taste before it is burnt” and with that he started walking in the direction of the kitchen, trying his best to reel the beast roaring inside of him back in and compose himself. As much as he wanted to kiss the ever-living shit out of Eren, he also wanted to talk to him and get to know the brat and by the looks of it this evening might turn out better than what he had hoped for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it didn't come across as things moving to quickly between the two of them. I just felt like writing this and decided to go for it and since their instincts are basically pushing them to get together i felt like it was ok to write it like this. But again, let me know what you thought :D and yeah the cockblock was real haha XD


	17. Acceptance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOUUU!!! <3 <3 
> 
> i just wanted to say, thank you for all your support, kudos and comments. they make my day. 
> 
> Without further ado here's the first chapter of 2018. Let me know what you thought.

Eren couldn't help but stay frozen at the threshold to Levi's bedroom for a moment; trying his best to reel in all the emotions that held him in their grasp. His thoughts were jumbled; a mess of lust, attraction and a fair amount of confusion all mixed together in one chaotic ball of feelings. 

Levi had almost kissed him!

And if it weren't for that damned oven then he would have had those beautiful lips pressed against his own now. His omega whined in frustration at the reminder of what he had just missed out on; clearly not content with his alpha having given him some space after Eren had averted his eyes from the heated silver orbs that had stared at him hungrily. 

The spell he had been under had lifted the moment the stupid alarm had gone off; the static electricity between them having lost its current, the heated atmosphere dissolving entirely, taking their lovingly mixed scents with them and leaving Eren only with a lingering hint of what could have been. 

_'What his future would hold'_ his omega supplied (un)helpfully. 

He chastised his unruly secondary dynamic immediately at the more than bold thought, heat flaring in his cheeks, coloring them into a renewed shade of scarlet; butterflies fluttering around in his stomach at the idea of Levi playing a bigger role in his life in the future. 

And to think he had doubted the raven the entire afternoon. 

Wanting to smack himself on his head for his own stupidity and rashness for jumping to wrong conclusions, Eren slowly made his way to the kitchen. It was technically his job to look after the dinner he had promised the alpha, but his guilt currently revolved more around the fact that he hadn't really given Levi the chance to explain himself than not running into the kitchen to check on the lasagna immediately. 

Not only had he avoided the alpha for an entire week, no – now he had also just assumed that he had been rejected, without actually having properly spoken to the raven… What was wrong with him? This was so unlike him. Yes he was rash sometimes, stubborn too. But he would usually at least give the other person a chance to explain him or herself. These stupid ass hormones that made him overthink everything could seriously just go fuck off! Of course a part of him had been insecure about Levi not replying to him all day but he was usually more rational than this. 

And Levi had actually apologized. Thinking about it now, he somehow highly doubted that that was a sight that occurred very often; after all the alpha didn't seem like the type to apologize easily. And he had. For flirting with him of all things. 

Eren blushed again, ducking his head at remembering the innuendos the raven had thrown at him tonight. It had felt so right when he had responded in kind, the words slipping over his lips before he even knew what he was saying; enticing and encouraging the alpha further. And Eren wasn't really sure whether it had been merely his omega's doing this time. 

Sighing at his own confusion, he stepped into the living room - only to find Levi placing his lasagna on a beautifully set dinner table that he had somehow managed to overlook when he had first stormed into the apartment. 

The mahogany table didn't take up much of the space the room offered, with only a maximum of 6 people being able to squeeze themselves around the wooden surface. It was left without a tablecloth; daring guests to ruin the perfectly varnished shine with their unworthy fingerprints. Napkins were intricately folded on polished white plates; candles lit on either side of where Levi had set down the dish Eren had rushed to prepare. 

Oh wow. 

No one had ever done anything of the sort for him and while he stood there rooted to the spot with his mouth slightly agape, it became abundantly clear how much effort Levi had put into this evening. Despite being dragged off for the entire day by Professor Zoe. 

Now he felt like an ass. A newly presented hormonal ass. But still an ass. 

"I almost thought I'd have to come and bring you a map for you to find your way here, brat." Levi teased, one thin eyebrow raised marginally; a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he took in Eren's soft, pleased expression. His appreciation of the alpha's efforts must not have gone unnoticed as Levi's scent changed slightly; a hint of pride warming the undertones of sandalwood coming from the raven standing expectantly in front of him.

Eren couldn't even think of a witty retort in that moment, his omega preening in the obvious courting display his alpha was demonstrating. But it wasn't just his dynamic that was touched at the gesture the raven had put forth. If he had heard Levi correctly, then Hanji had dragged him out for the entire day, leaving little to no time for preparing something like this. And yet he had. No wonder he didn't have the time to check his phone. Getting everything ready must have been more important to the raven. 

A warm fuzz settled in his stomach at his next realization. 

_Levi must have been looking forward to this._

"Let's see how 'beast' your lasagna really is " Levi smirked; gesturing for Eren to come and have a seat; silver orbs glinting with amusement as he pulled out a wooden chair for him. 

"It'll be so beast that you'll have to rephrase the definition of the word in the dictionary" Eren retorted cheekily.

His usual confident attitude was slowly coming back; the banter with Levi and his presence in general aiding him with feeling more comfortable with the sudden drastic changes in his life. 

Being near the raven seemed to help tremendously. Eren felt more like himself when he was with the alpha then he had in the entire past week. And while some things were certainly still a bit out of character for him – considering that he was willingly spending time with an alpha after all – he couldn't bring himself to regret meeting the raven. The only things he did regret was avoiding him and not giving him the benefit of the doubt today. But he could surely try to make up for those, right?

His thoughts were interrupted by a light, airy chuckle followed suit by a low "pretty sure that particular meaning of the word isn't in any dictionary to begin with" spoken in the same smooth baritone voice that had left shivers in its wake not too long ago.

Eren couldn’t help himself at Levi’s remark; grinning widely at the alpha; having perfectly predicted what the English literature professor would retort to his jest. Emerald green orbs glimmered softly as a breathy laugh left his lips - and for a split second Levi just stared at him, before awkwardly clearing his throat and handing him his plate.

The tauntingly delicious smell of his lasagna wafting over to him was enough to distract him from spotting the light dusting of pink covering the tips of the raven's ears. His focus now lied on the dish in front of him; scrutinizing the result of his own cooking with narrowed eyes. This better live up to his promises. 

Levi’s quiet _"Bon appetit, brat"_ had him finally look up from the plated lasagna just in time to see the same long, slender fingers that had danced across his lips mere minutes ago reaching for the cutlery that lay adjacent to a marbled white plate. A shiver ran down his spine at the memory. Levi's touch had ignited a fire inside of him that he wasn't sure he was willing to set ablaze just yet. No matter how much his omega yearned for the touch, fact was that he barely even knew the raven. 

Yes he seemed like a great guy, but what kind of skeletons was he hiding in his closet? And more importantly, wouldn't he just run screaming when he found out about what was lurking in the shadows of Eren's past? That was after all a big part of why he had never wanted a mate to begin with. He never wanted to bother them with the broken mess that was him, never wanted the fear of losing them or losing himself in the process of that – like his father had. 

"Don't hurt yourself there, kid." 

Levi's voice rang through the room, gunmetal orbs still trained on Eren's expression and the obvious wrinkles his frown had put on his features. The raven had his head cocked slightly to the side, his chin resting on one hand while he stared at him in contemplation. "Whatever it is that's bugging the fuck out of you brat, there's a solution for everything. So just ease up on the frown and enjoy the dinner."

To someone else, the raven's words might have sounded harsh or come across as rude, but somehow Eren understood that there was a kindness laced into them, rendering them warm and comforting, exactly what he had needed to hear. He exhaled shakily, trying to drown out all the worries that had resurfaced upon thinking about the whole mate thing. They could just take it slow right? 

Hesitantly his eyes met Levi’s, the mercury gaze still locked onto him, observing him carefully and leaving him with the strange sensation that the raven was actually waiting for him to start eating first. 

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips at the thought. 

Ever the gentleman it seemed. Not like Eren would complain. It was refreshing really. Seeing an alpha going out of their way to please an omega instead of forcing them into subjugation. But if his gut was anything to go by, then Levi was far from the typical alpha douchebag. The raven had proven that more than once. And fated mates or not, that meant more to him that anything his secondary gender could try to make him believe about the alpha. Instincts or not, if Levi had been a scumbag then Eren highly doubted that he would have followed the damn pull – no matter how strong it would have gotten.

Thinking about it now made him realize that he didn't feel it at all. It wasn't like it was completely gone - he could still sense it lurking in the back of his consciousness - but the urge to push them together seemed to have abated somewhat now that they were in close proximity of each other. 

Thank god. The one week had been bad enough. And even though he knew that it had been his own fault for putting them both through that, he’d had so much to wrap his head around and come to terms with that he had needed the distance. Despite his body telling him that it was the complete opposite of what his omega had wanted. 

But thankfully Levi seemed to have forgiven him for that. 

Well…Thinking about that now, it dawned upon him that the raven’s forgiveness was partially dependent on how good this dinner was going to be.

Oh fuck. And so far he’d been nothing but a pouting hormonal omega. 

Gulping lightly at the realization, he asked timidly “Uhm, so what do you usually do on the weekends?” 

He stuffed his mouth with the first fork-full of steaming lasagna; not wanting to make the alpha wait any longer to start his meal. And truth being told he wanted to know how much the raven liked his cooking. 

“You mean when a crazy lunatic is NOT dragging me out at the crack of dawn?” Levi scoffed sarcastically; annoyance abundantly clear on his angular features. “Not much honestly. Read, grade papers, work on my research, clean...” He shrugged lightly and started cutting into the pasta in front of him with what Eren noted to be meticulous precision. 

“Your research?” he wondered, filling his mouth with another piece of lasagna to distract himself from his own nervousness. 

“Yes. I’d much rather focus on that than teach classes. Pretty sure my students would prefer that too, but shitty eyebrows is making me” he huffed, lifting his fork to his lips and finally taking a first bite of his lasagna. 

Eren held his breath and waited expectantly.

Levi hummed quietly as the delicious mix of flavors exploded on his tongue, the meaty tomato sauce having perfectly blended into the creamy béchamel sauce that permeated each layer of the lovingly prepared dish. 

Silver orbs lifted from his plate, a smirk tugging at the corner of the raven’s lips at the eager expression that must have covered Eren’s entire face. “Not bad, brat.” 

“I take it that’s as good of a compliment as I’m going to get?” 

“You learn quickly” Levi chuckled, taking another bite of the dish before he asked “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask – is the dorm ok for you? I hope everything went well with the movers?”

“Oh. Yeah.” A little surprised by Levi’s inquiry but silently thrilled that the raven seemed to care he added “They got everything I needed. Thank you for that by the way. I, uhm… I can’t thank you enough for helping me with this. It… it really means the world to me. “

Their eyes met once more as the last words tumbled over his lips and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say that he briefly saw relief wash over Levi’s features. Was the alpha still worried about having arranged the movers without consulting him? 

“No problem. I’m glad it is to your liking then.” Levi paused briefly and with a slight frown forming on forehead he continued “Even though that makes me slightly question your sanity.”

“For liking the dorms? Why? Not sterile enough for you?” he teased the raven, feeling bold enough to do so after having realized that the alpha seemed very keen on keeping things clean. The kitchen had been fucking sparkling when he had entered, almost as if the damn thing had been newly installed; making Eren feel almost bad about ‘defiling’ the whole place. 

“It’s disgusting that’s what it is. You never know what crawls around there. Or what other people used to do in your room before it was yours. And don’t even get me started on the common areas. Fucking sickening. Most of these shit-wits have probably never heard the word _clean_ before in their entire goddamn fucking life” the raven huffed in exasperation. 

Eren couldn’t help but laugh at the alpha’s mini-rant “It’s not so bad you know” he started. “At least not in the omega dormitory. Everything is surprisingly clean actually.” 

“Lucky you, I had to deal with a shitty alpha dormitory and let me tell you. It was the fucking worst.” 

Another bout of laughter left his lips at the grumbled explanation of the raven. “So why did you live in a dorm then? Did you go to a college that was too far away from your parents place?” Eren asked while taking another bite out of his lasagna. 

“No. I lived in a dorm because there was no other place for me to go. My parents died when I was young, leaving me in the _caring_ hands of my uncle. Let’s just say I got out of there as fast as I could when I could. Any dorm was better than Kenny’s” Levi admitted nonchalantly. 

“Oh.” Was all Eren was able to manage in return; shell-shocked by the indifference with which Levi had just told him about his parent’s death and upbringing. That was far from an easy topic for him personally. Despite his mother’s death having occurred a few years ago, he still hadn’t gotten over it. His father had seen to that. 

He fretfully scanned the expressionless mask that was Levi’s face for any hint of anger directed at him for bringing up the rather unpleasant topic. 

He was about to open his mouth to apologize, when Levi stated quietly. “Don’t say you’re sorry, Eren. There’s nothing to be sorry about here.” He assured. “What’s in the past is in the past. There’s no point in reminiscing about what happened over 10 years ago. I’ve made my peace with it. In the end our past experiences and choices shape who we are today and all we can do is believe that we won’t regret the choices we’ve made.” 

Levi was observing him carefully while speaking and only when Eren quietly nodded his assent to the remarkably profound statement did he focus back on his food. 

So Levi had a dark past as well? What did he say? Any place was better than his uncle’s. Was that the reason why he had understood so quickly what was going on with him in the infirmary? Had he gone through the same things as he did? That could have been the reason why he was so adamant about helping him get into the dorm. 

Maybe… just maybe he could actually tell him about it all? Maybe Levi wouldn’t say anything that he didn’t want to hear; wouldn’t tell him how he had to feel; how he had to deal with the situation but instead he would just…listen. 

“So how’s having coconut for a roommate? He showed up in my class and annoyed the shit out of me with questions so I take it he’s feeling better?” Levi asked, interrupting his contemplations about spilling his heart out to the raven. 

“Yeah, he’s good. Had to take it easy there for a few days but luckily for only like 2. His constant whining about not being able to read books was really starting to get on my nerves though. Who actually reads that much to begin with?!” 

Levi chuckled lightly at his little outburst. “Well, a fair share of the reading he has to do comes from my course and before you ask yes it’s completely necessary and no I’m not asking too much of my students. They need to learn how to prioritize and filter through information efficiently and effectively” He carried on, his tone not leaving anything up for discussion. 

“Thank god I didn’t take English literature then.” Eren replied while giving the alpha a sheer look of incredulity. Levi wasn’t even sorry for the hell he put his students through. And while Armin insisted that he was actually learning something from him, Eren could still hear Jean and Connie’s groaning whenever they left Professor Ackerman’s courses. 

“In the end they’ll be glad they learned it earlier rather than later.” The raven remarked; opting to ignore his cheeky comment, while reaching for the bottle of wine standing in the middle of the table. “Would you like a glass?” 

“Sure, but uhm, I don’t really know my wines and I don’t drink it very often.” Eren admitted sheepishly. “So I might end up not liking it after all.” He confessed while taking the glass Levi had poured for him. 

“Good. I don’t drink this stuff either. This was a gift from Hanji and I thought it might go well with the dinner. I honestly have no freaking clue about wines. I prefer the hard stuff anyway” he said shrugging. 

“Sure you do.” Eren grinned teasingly; unable to help himself. Levi made that one way too easy. He tried to reel in the shit-eating grin that had spread over his entire face at the raven shaking his head at his sad excuse of an innuendo.

“Brat.” Was all Levi said before clinking his glass with his own and taking a sip. Eren followed suit and immediately regretted it. 

How could people drink this stuff?! 

Pursing his lips at the sour taste of the wine on his tongue and scrunching up his nose in disgust he gingerly placed the glass as far away from him as possible; ignoring the chuckling coming from across the table. 

“Sooooo…. where did Hanji drag you off then today?” he asked; trying to divert the attention away from his dislike of the red liquid Levi was casually sipping on. He stuffed his mouth with another fork-full of the to his dismay dwindling portion left on his plate to get the taste of the disgusting wine out of his mouth. 

Mercury irises narrowed slightly at his question and he could hear Levi click his tongue in annoyance at the memory before he responded “Dragged me out to a freaking hospital. That damn lunatic.”

Teal eyes widened marginally as his face scrunched into a heavy frown as he mustered Levi from top to bottom. “A hospital? Are you ok?” He couldn’t help the worry that crept into his voice, unable to conceal the concern he felt at the thought of something having happened to his alpha. 

“Nah, I’m good brat, it was just one of shitty glasses’ crazy antics” cutting into the pasta sitting in front of him the raven added “research and shit” before taking another mouthful, humming softly at the flavor, seemingly still savoring every bite of what was left on his plate. 

Eren was torn between smiling tenderly over getting such a reaction out of the alpha and imploring further about what kind of research Hanji had been doing on him that had required him to go to a hospital of all places. 

“I’m assuming she didn’t let you off the hook this week either, right?” Levi offered sarcastically.

“Well, yeah…” he frowned slightly at the memory of the bat-shit insane look on his professors’ face when she had asked for more of his blood after classes. While he respected her scientific drive and wanted to help better understand secondary genders and dynamics himself, he hated being treated like some lab-rat. And he’d made that abundantly clear to her after she had the audacity to ask for a _sperm-sample._

He couldn’t help the blush that spread over his cheeks as he remembered her whining and begging. 

_“But Ereeeeeeeeen, it would help so much! Just imagine what I could see from your little swimmers. Maybe I can even see if you’re more fertile with your fated mate. Oh that would be so interesting to analyze. Just imagine all the possibilities!!”_

_And when Eren still had politely refused, sending Jean an icy glare at his neighing cackling on the side-lines Hanji had - much to his dismay- wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and added “oooor….. should I go ask Levi to procure it for me?”_

He had bolted and ran after that; only confronting her the next day to never ever mention shit like that again. Infuriatingly, she had only smiled knowingly at that. 

“She didn’t pull any weird shit on you though, did she? I’ll rip her a new one if she did.” Levi threatened. His voice had turned cold as the warning made its way over his lips, his eyes searching Eren’s face for any indication of unease or discomfort. 

Eren had no doubt that the raven would make due on his words and somehow he found the oddly protective way he was reacting endearing. 

“No, no. She just wanted more blood samples” Eren stammered hastily. “She’d mumbled something about analyzing a shit-ton of things and I honestly couldn’t be bothered at that point… I mean I do study sociology focusing on dynamics, but it’s less of the biological analytical aspect there, so yeah…” he trailed off, shoving more lasagna down his throat, trying his best not to seem like a beast wolfing down his food. He was positively starving, not having eaten anything the entire day. 

“Good. If she ever does, let me know and I’ll make her stop” Levi said, taking another bite off his plate. 

“Stop Hanji and her experiments? You’d have better luck persuading a brick wall to sing a song than that” Eren laughed lightly. 

“I have means” Levi responded calmly, unperturbed by the disbelief covering the brunette’s features. “Oh? Do tell, I could use some of those” Eren grinned cheekily. 

Levi met his gaze, smirked and asked oh so innocently “I’m sure you would, but… what’s in it for me?” 

Eren silently thanked god that he had gulped down the portion of lasagna he had been chewing on before the raven had thrown that at him with that sexy, husky purr in his voice. 

Blinking owlishly at the alpha sitting across from him, he swallowed once more before licking his lips slowly “well… what do you want, _Levi_?” He purposefully dragged out the name of the raven, holding his omega back at actually using ‘alpha’ instead. 

He watched with pleasure as he saw the raven’s pupils dilate, a silent sign that while the rest of Levi’s face remained mainly impassive, his eyes were very expressive if you paid close enough attention. 

“I want to get to know you, Eren.” 

The statement was left hanging in the air; the words taking their time before they started to sink in. Eren stared at the alpha in front of him dumbfounded, having expected anything but that. His entire body had frozen the moment the words had tumbled over the raven’s lips, his hand still holding the fork up to his mouth and if this had been a comedy, then the lasagna on it would have definitely dropped down onto the plate ungracefully. 

Gunmetal orbs met teal ones straight on, the deep smooth baritone voice not wavering for even a second “I don’t care much for this weird-ass fated mate thing that’s supposedly going on between the two of us so I’m just gonna be straight here” Levi started, maintaining their eye-contact the entire time. 

“I want to get to know you as a person. But I’m gonna warn you beforehand. I’m complete shit at this. I will screw up. I’m not a people person. I have weird quirks and I don’t beat around the bush. So I come across as rude, but I just don’t like sugar-coating things. I prefer getting straight to the point as I’m sure you have already noticed by now…“ Pausing slightly he added “But I think you can take it. So… what I want Eren, is to get to know you.”

Levi nonchalantly took another sip from his wineglass and looked at him expectantly – as if he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell on him. 

_He wanted to get to know him?_ Him as a person and not just the omega… his destined mate… no, Levi wanted to get to know _him._

A thousand thoughts were swirling around in his brain all at once; worry, insecurity and anxiety mixing together at the prospect of telling the alpha everything. But those weren’t the only things Eren was feeling. 

Happiness. 

Elation.

Hope. 

All of those were prevalent too – and to his surprise even stronger than all the negative emotions that were battling them for superiority. 

He felt incredibly happy and even a slightly bit cherished at the thought that the raven wanted to get to know him first; to see where this whole thing would take them. He didn’t seem to care for the entire fated mate thing and that made Eren all the happier. It might have been what initially brought them together, but Levi must have found him acceptable enough despite all the shit he had pulled to wanting to keep meeting him. 

And he didn’t have to tell him everything at once right? He could just go at his own pace, see if he felt like opening up or not. So far Levi had not pressured him a single time. Not asking him about his home or about why he had to arrange movers for him. He had just done it. No questions asked. Even tonight, when he clearly had been fretting over something; Levi had just told him that there was a solution to everything. He hadn’t asked to be involved, hadn’t forced his way into Eren’s life. No he had chosen to leave it up to him. 

With that conclusion in mind, Eren allowed himself to reply a simple “Okey.”

“Okey?” Levi asked, seemingly wanting to make sure that he had heard him correctly. 

More determination seeped into his voice as Eren declared once more “Yeah. Okey.”

And to that, Levi actually smiled. It was brief, but Eren swore that he saw what he saw. The tiniest hint of a smile ghosting over Levi’s porcelain features, rendering them younger, more uninhibited and relaxed, and Eren’s heart skipped a beat at the sight. 

“Good then.” Levi took another sip of his glass of wine and scraped the last bit of his lasagna together before he continued their earlier conversation. “So what exactly made you go into sociology? Especially majoring in gender dynamics, that’s a rather unusual choice.” 

Eren stared at his now empty plate for a few seconds, contemplating whether or not he should tell the raven the truth, when all it had gotten him into the past was trouble. But Levi was different right?

He gulped heavily before finally deciding to speak up “It’s the injustice that did it for me.” 

He quietly waited for any sort of rebuke to come from the alpha but when none came he dared look up. And what awaited him was in no way what he had expected to find. There was a fire burning in Levi’s eyes. Not one trying to justify the discrimination in their society, no – if Eren was reading this correctly it was the same fire and determination that burned in himself. 

“The whole system is just fucked up!” he blurted out after finally finding his resolve. “The discrimination based on secondary gender is everywhere. It’s ingrained in the entire society and no one is doing a damn thing against it. It’s no wonder when all the fucking pigs of politicians are alphas themselves who do their damnedest to hold up the whole thing. Not a single omega politician is elected, betas are hardly represented in our so called democracy and no one seems to care about it!” He exclaimed in frustration. 

“Omegas have to deal with so much shit being thrown at them. All the discrimination happening 24/7! I saw it with Armin! I saw it with Mom… and… I’m seeing it now myself. And I thought that that’s just unacceptable! They should all just rot in hell, those disgusting alpha pigs who call themselves politicians.” He roared angrily. “And it’s not just them, its’ the judges, the lawyers, the police. It’s freaking everyone!!”

Calming down slightly he added “And I know change is happening and that its way better compared to the past but it’s not fast enough! We need more people who stand up for the underrepresented dynamics. And since the only betas that are ever taken seriously are those who studied sociology, I decided that I’ll fight for their freedom… Our freedom I guess. They… We should stop hiding behind walls and start standing up for ourselves, so yeah… that’s why I decided to study sociology”. 

He was almost yelling during certain parts of his little speech, but Levi seemed completely unperturbed. He had listened to it all, had heard his cry of frustration ant had still not interrupted him or told him to mind ‘his place’. 

The raven’s smooth baritone voice almost felt like soothing water being poured over the bitter flames the unjust system had left in its wake when he spoke up again “I couldn’t agree more. It’s all just fucked up, unjust and cruel. It needs to be changed. Which is what Erwin and I have been trying for years.” 

“You. What?” Eren asked incredulously, not quite believing his own ears. Had Levi just agreed with him? An alpha agreeing with him and telling him that he was fighting for the same thing as he was? That their own status was to be diminished, that their time of glory was to come to an end?

Ignoring his gaping mouth Levi’s finger twirled around the top of his wine glass while he continued his explanation. “Erwin, Hanji and I have been fighting for omega rights for years. That’s how me and shitty eyebrows became friends. I couldn’t stomach the shit one of our high-school teachers was spouting anymore about alphas being superior and shit like that, so I told him off. In front of the entire class. Erwin seemed to have found it incredibly amusing to watch.” He scoffed. “Fucking dimwit of a sorry excuse for a teacher. Still can’t believe they did that to kids, and most of them listening and believing the whole shit is the sad thing.”

“You told your teacher off?” His disbelief was growing by the minute but Levi still didn’t seem to be finished. 

“Fuck yes I did. It was about damn time someone did” he growled, frustration seeping into his voice at the memory. “Anyway, Erwin and I have been trying to improve the situation at least at the university for now. I know it’s only a small start but we’re trying to persuade other universities to implement the same policies.”

Eyeing him carefully he continued “The concept of omega dormitories on campus is Erwin’s by the way. While it is not the direction we wanted to take in the sense of wanting to provide an environment where all genders could live together without fear of being attacked or discriminated against, it was at least a step in the direction of protecting omegas and showing that change is needed.” 

Eren couldn’t take his eyes off the enigma of an alpha that was sitting right in front of him. If staring would help making him believe in what he had just heard to be true, then it was most definitely helping. Levi seemed complete and utterly genuine. 

“Oh wow.” He managed to get out, teal eyes still widened in slight disbelief, respect and admiration mixing into the pleased scent he was letting out.

“I wish we’d done more, but neither of us are giving up. Change takes time. It’s what we keep telling ourselves when we get too frustrated with the status quo.” Levi admitted; watching the burgundy liquid in his glass slosh around lazily with every twist of his wrist. 

“You’re the first alpha I’ve met that stood up for omegas” Eren confessed quietly. “I mean, it’s not like I haven’t met ones that agree that the system is weird. Jean’s like that for example. But actually standing up for the other dynamics? You’re the first.”

At his admission Levi looked up from the copper liquid he had been staring at in contemplation. An emotion seemed to cross his face but as briefly as it was there was it gone, leaving Eren to ponder over what it was. 

“That would explain your dislike for alphas” the raven said softly. 

“Yeah it does… But…” meeting the simmering gunmetal orbs’ stare he continued “it seems like not every alpha is like that.”

Another small smile found its way onto Levi’s thin lips and his eyes swam with warmth when he said “Glad to hear that, brat.”

They both gazed at each other for a few moments, relishing in the quiet understanding that they had reached tonight. They were both on the same page. Levi fully agreed with Eren’s opinions. And he was more certain now than ever that Levi would never force himself on him; that he viewed him as an equal and that he would treat him with as much respect and decency as he would anyone else. 

A smile ghosted over his face as the thought filled him with peace. His alpha was different. 

“It’s getting pretty late. Is it ok with you if I walk you back to your dorm? It would put both me and my shitty inner dynamic at ease” Levi huffed while raising a thin eyebrow at him questioningly. 

He couldn’t help but snort at the idea of Levi’s inner alpha giving the raven a field day. At least it wasn’t just him that had to deal with an unruly dynamic. Speaking of which, his omega was purring at the idea of the alpha wanting to ensure that he got home safe and sound. He almost wanted to roll his eyes at his stupid secondary gender. He could get home just fine on his own. But Levi knew that – which was why he had asked him and not just outright told him he’d be tagging along. 

Another wave of appreciation crashed over him at Levi’s gentleness. “Sure, if it’ll make you feel better” he allowed with a slight smirk of his own now. 

Levi’s stern, unimpressed expression only made another light laughter bubble up in his chest. Shaking his head the raven got up and started walking towards where he’d hung his jacket. “Come on then brat, let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soo i hope you guys liked it. and haha nope no kiss for the boys yet. I felt like this chapter was really important for Eren, to finally start accepting Levi and that he wasn't like he expected every alpha to be. I hope you liked it and as usual let me know what you thought <3


	18. Prof. Ackerman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry that it's taken me some time to update again but January was a lot of turmoil for me personally. So i just didn't really have any motivation to write much despite for once having time. It just didn't feel right, whenever i tried to write so yeah... it actually kinda frustrates me because i have sooo many things planned. I have the plot for the next few chapters for this fanfic all set as well as basically the entrie plot for my mermen fanfic. And thanks to my beta reader i also have the general plot outlined for a demon/angel viktuuri fanfic. I just really need to get it down on paper... sigh... 
> 
> Well i hope that at least this little morsel will keep you guys sated for now while i try to get my shit together haha XD anyways as usual please let me know what you thought after reading. I always appreciate the comments and feedback. 
> 
> Also a huge thank you once again to the support, all the people commenting and all the kudos. I continue to be amazed by it all <3 lots of love to you guys.

Locking the door to his apartment firmly behind him, Levi turned around to face the still brightly grinning brunette that stood waiting expectantly across from him. Emerald pools continued to shine with amusement; rendering him unable to suppress the grumpy eye-roll in return. 

“Brat.”

“Alpha.” 

The startling, cheeky retort had him almost tripping over his own two feet as he scrambled to meet the measured gaze of the omega that had just called him _alpha_ of all things.

For a brief moment he almost forgot how to breathe, the air having left him in a rushed exhale at Eren addressing him by his secondary gender. The admission did things to him that he would never have believed possible; his alpha preening and posturing inside of him for having been recognized by his omega as a viable partner. Wanting to do nothing more than push the lovely brunette up the next best wall, claim those plush, plump lips as his own and prove his worth to him. 

He swallowed loudly; keenly aware of the fact that this was the alpha-hating brat that had just openly accepted him. One didn’t just call anyone by their secondary gender, only courting or mated pairs usually did so and for Eren to opt with alpha instead of his proper name or hell, any other nickname for that matter, was more than a clear answer to his earlier request of wanting to get to know him. 

The tips of Levi’s ears were still burning in slight embarrassment at the rather intimate gesture Eren had chosen to let him know his approval of their… courtship (?), but his face was leveled. Only his molten silver eyes spoke of the pride, warmth and joy that were overflowing inside of him.  


Though judging by the tiny sheepish curl of a smile on the omega’s face, he must have given Eren the exact reaction the other had been looking for. That damn smile that made his heart stutter and almost cease to do its proper job was back in full force as feather-light fingers ghosted over his right ear; leaving shivers in their wake. 

“Good to know” Eren laughed happily. 

He retracted his fingers and Levi had to fight the urge to follow the slender digits that lightly trailed along his jaw before leaving his skin at last. Embarrassingly, it took him a moment to gather his bearings; still baffled by the fact that Eren had managed to rile him up more than he would openly care to admit. And all that with a single word and a simple touch. 

Finally finding his composure again, he cast the radiantly smiling brunette a glare before scoffing “Not like it happens very often brat. I don’t get embarrassed easily.”

“Oh? All the more reason for me to try hard then.” the cheeky shit grinned. 

Another smile threatened to worm its way onto his face in reply to the little tease. So Eren was planning on sticking around then. 

“You little shit.” Lowering his voice into the husky undertone that he had noticed to leave shivers all over the omegas golden skin he retorted “Trust me, out of the two of us you will be the one ending up a blushing mess when I’m done with you.” 

A more than satisfying, choked whine that seemed to be a mix of both embarrassment and eagerness in equal parts left Levi chuckling at the now blushing omega walking next to him. 

There was a brief moment of silence where Eren covered his face in his hands before he grumbled quietly “It’s so unfair you know?” 

“What is?” Levi asked innocently.

“That you’re so damn good at this!” the brunette huffed. 

“And what would _‘that’_ be, Eren?” he prodded, knowing exactly what Eren was referring to but wanting to hear the omega say it out loud. 

“You know exactly what!” the brat exclaimed in frustration, throwing him a glare while he was at it. 

Another chuckle slipped over his lips before he could stop it, making him the proud recipient of a rather menacing glare from the omega. 

“Trust me brat, you’re doing just fine” he assured him. Reaching out and lacing their fingers together he added smirking “I only tease you ‘cause you look damn fine all flustered like that. Scarlet suits you well.”

He expected another sassy retort from the brat; hoping that the omega would continue their banter, but to his surprise he was only met with the hushed quiet of the night.

Casting a side-glance at the suddenly silent brunette, he noted with a relieved smile that Eren’s ensuing silence was because the brat was too busy staring mesmerized at their linked hands. 

The action had come instinctually to him. As if an unknown part of him had understood that this would be the perfect moment to reach out and take hold of the omega he had been craving to touch for the entire evening. 

It had surprised even himself. He just wasn’t the type to seek out physical contact; usually doing his best to avoid any skinship with other human beings, finding it more disgusting than anything else. But somehow the urge for some form of physical connection to Eren had been present during the entire dinner. It had been simple things, like brushing a strand of unruly brown hair back behind the brat’s ear or ghosting his fingers over the lovely blush on the tan cheeks in front of him. 

Tch. Just what was this brat doing to him? But then again it wasn’t like he _truly_ was complaining. Not when the mere presence of the omega calmed him in a way that he hadn’t experienced in years. And all he knew in this very moment was that the boy's hand was warm. 

Warmer than his own. And holding his slightly smaller hand in his own; having their fingers intertwined with each other and stealing the body warmth from the taller just felt so right that Levi couldn’t bring himself to stop holding on. 

They continued walking in comfortable silence for the rest of the way to the dormitory. Levi giving the boy’s fingers weaved between his own occasionally a little squeeze and receiving a firm squeeze back in return. Eren didn’t seem to be keen on talking just then, mulling over something and Levi was content with just having the brunette next to him. 

He still couldn’t believe his own luck at how well the entire evening had gone, bearing in mind their shitty misunderstanding in the beginning. An incredible happiness bubbled up inside of him when he remembered that Eren had actually consented to their courting. At least… that’s what it was right? 

Levi was quite hesitant to use the word without actually having discussed it with Eren first. Especially considering that the brat didn’t seem like the type to just happily say yes to something as important as this. The omega had probably never expected to be courted by someone in the first place and it must still be a lot for the brunette to take in. 

But he had referred to him as alpha, and he was certain that Eren wouldn’t do that just on a whim. The boy might be a brat, but he was still serious, reliable and trustworthy. Characteristics that Levi valued more than anything else – after all if you couldn’t trust your partner, then what was the point in the entire relationship? And tonight Eren had put his trust in him. 

He hadn’t exactly planned on telling Eren how he felt about their whole fated mate situation, and like hell had he expected such a positive outcome. He’d actually fretted about being flat-out rejected by his alpha-hating omega; thinking that it would take a long time for Eren to trust him enough to even consider taking this step. And while it might not look like a huge step to an outsider, Levi knew exactly how much this meant to the boy still holding his hand tightly. Which just made it all the sweeter to the raven. 

His thoughts however, were interrupted by Eren when they arrived in front of the dormitory. 

“You know… I like the different expressions and looks you have when you’re talking to me as well. It feels like it’s something only I get to see, so…” he gulped and then met Levi’s silver orbs with renewed determination. With a light smirk tugging at the corner of his lips he continued “So, you’re definitely in for a ride, _alpha_ ” almost purring the last syllable as it rolled over his rosy lips. 

A languid smile spread over Levi’s angular features as Eren finished his little speech that only served to confirm his earlier hope of the other planning on sticking around. Reaching up with his free hand to cup Eren’s face gently, he crooned huskily “Can’t wait.” Leaning in closer, he decided to rile up the omega a bit more “Give it your best shot then, _Eren_ ” he murmured, sultriness in in his tone. 

He managed to catch a glimpse of widened eyes with nothing but a thin ring of teal rimming the opaqueness of Eren’s blown pupils before he closed his own and leaned in; wanting to _feel_ what was about to happen with every fiber of his body. 

The light rustling of clothes let him know that his omega was just as eager to reach him, to close the final pesky distance that they both so desperately wanted to bridge. Their breaths were mingling together, their noses brushing against each other lightly and while a part of him wanted to savor the moment, another greedy part of him just wanted to have his omegas lips pressed against his own. So when he finally decided that enough teasing was enough and his lips ghosted over the others, the high-pitched almost shrieking voice that threatened to give him a tinnitus had his mood turn into one beseeching of murder faster than a speeding ticket. 

_“What exactly do you think you’re doing, **professor** Ackerman?!?”_ the nasal, condescending voice dripping with venom and disgust asked. 

Letting out a long sigh and trying to ignore the disappointed whine that slipped over Eren’s lips at being denied his goodbye kiss, he turned his head to face the unwanted intruder. 

“Mrs. Huber.” He bit out in the friendliest tone he could manage at the old hag; annoyance abundantly clear on his expression that had morphed into a deep scowl. “I was just bringing Eren back to the dorm after _our date_. Wanting to make sure he got back safely.”

Stroking lightly over the brunette’s cheek, his icy voice rang through the chilly evening night “At least some of us have been taught what _manners_ and _proper timing_ are.”

He cast the nuisance of a woman another glare over his shoulder, before he shifted his attention back to the brunette in his hands; not wanting to waste another second on her with his omega asking for attention. 

Squeezing Eren’s hand that had clutched his own as if the brat’s life depended on it in reassurance, he cupped the brunette’s face with his other once more and whispered “Thank you for tonight, Eren. I had a lot of fun and I hope we can repeat this sometime?”

The eager nod came all too quickly, leaving Levi to chuckle at the brat’s enthusiasm. “Good. And remember, you have my number, so you better make use of that, got it?” – “Yeah,” the omega answered softly “text me when you get home, ok Levi?”

“Sure thing brat.” He replied with a tiny smile on his lips; his heart warming at the concern his omega was showing for him. Unable to help himself from irking the hag that was still standing next to them watching over their interactions like a hawk, he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss on the brunette’s forehead “Goodnight, Eren.”

“Mmmmh, goodnight Levi.” Eren whispered back with a goofy grin plastered over his face. 

Levi took one last look at his omega before he reluctantly let go of his hand, turned around and started walking home while cursing the old woman silently all the way back to his apartment. 

 

****

 

Levi was currently sitting in his office, staring at his phone in amusement and enjoying a cup of freshly brewed earl grey tea as his eyes skimmed over the most recent message he had received from Eren. The brat had just sent him another rant text over his last lecture.

He smiled slightly at the colorful choice of words Eren had used to describe the awfulness of having to listen to Dot Pixis’ or, how Eren called him, ‘baldy’ ramble on for two goddamn hours straight. Taking a sip of his tea he started replying that he had always wondered why exactly caterbrows had hired him in the first place. The old man was a bore. Plain and simple as that. 

Certain people should just really have a fucking degree or at least some sort of training to be teaching at an university. As it was now, all you needed was a doctor’s degree in whatever subject you wished to pursue an academic career in. No teaching courses required whatsoever. And one could tell by the quality of professors and lecturers. Fucking nonsense in his opinion. 

Despite despising teaching he had still insisted on at least attending a training course after Erwin had pestered him to teach lectures. If he was forced to do it he might as well do a proper job, he had argued. It wasn’t like he was any less strict after it, but the course had helped him develop strategies to explain his subject matter in a way that was clear and straight-forward. _If you paid attention._

He wasn’t the type to repeat himself multiple times just because the little shits of students decided they had better things to do or doodled around in his class. They were fucking adults so he wasn’t going to babysit their asses like a high-school teacher was. They had to learn to take responsibility for their own actions, and if that meant that they couldn’t keep up then they better learned from their fucking mistakes and failed grades. 

And while he couldn’t argue against his nickname, having earned it more than once, he had never refused to help a student if they came and asked for it. There hadn’t been many that had dared to venture past his office door to request for his assistance but for those that had, he had always taken the extra time to explain everything in detail once more. Resulting in them usually passing with ease. 

He just held the firm believe that in today’s world students had to learn early on that you needed to fight for the things you wanted and ask for help when you actually needed it. There was no shame in not understanding everything and not being able to do everything on your own. That was part of the point of university, to learn how to work together, to learn how to prioritize and to learn how time-management works. 

That was why he drowned his students in work. He didn’t expect them to be able to do everything, didn’t expect them to read the mountain of papers he handed them or to know every little sentence of every text he gave them to read. What he wanted was for them to learn a way to navigate through it or at least learn how to bullshit convincingly enough.

Another text from Eren diverted his attention away from his thoughts and to the small device lying in front of him. 

He and Eren had been texting for the entire week and while he usually wasn’t much of a texter, it seemed like he was throwing all of his principles overboard when it came to the brunette that had barged into his life. 

The more they had been talking the more Levi noticed that they were pretty much on the same page on all the important topics and ideological beliefs. And while some of their conversation had steered into a deeper level, their flirty banter had always been a constant part of their texting. It was something that Levi enjoyed deeply. Not many people could hold their own against him and the brat just wasn’t the type to back down easily. But that spark was exactly what made it all the more interesting. 

He was about to text Eren back when all of a sudden his office door burst open and in waltzed the one person he had no interest in seeing whatsoever today. 

“The fuck do you want shitty glasses?” he demanded disdainfully, his eyes narrowing at the bouncy brown ponytail swinging from left to right in tandem with Hanji’s bubbly excitement. 

“Good morning to you too grumpypants” came the way to cheery reply for his taste. 

He clicked his tongue in annoyance at the greeting and retorted icily “I had a good morning _until_ you decided to barge into my office like it belonged to you. Without knocking _again_. Learn some fucking manners for god’s sake Hanji.”

“Oh my, someone is extra grumpy this morning hm?” the maniac grinned, ignoring his cold demeanor entirely. Before he could tell her one more time to fuck off if she didn’t have any business with him, Hanji said “Hmmm, you know, while I would love to ask you some more questions about any changes in your mental link to Eren, I unfortunately have to make this quick.” 

The lunatic almost pouted at her own admission, clearly unhappy with the fact that she couldn’t prod her way into his personal life today. 

“Then get to the point, glasses. Why are you here?” he asked, a bit relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with her antics for long. His relief however, was rather short-lived as the scientist started explaining herself. 

“Well, you see I just dropped by to tell you that you will have to take over one of my sociology lectures tomorrow morning because I can’t make it. And before you say anything this has been discussed with and approved by Erwin so no amount of calling me names, cursing or death threats will get you out of this one, shortstacks.”

“You’re shitting me right now” he challenged warningly; eyes narrowed to tiny slits at his displeasure of the fucking glowing brunette standing in front of him. 

“Nope” shitty glasses replied grinning, popping the ‘p’ sound of the word with obvious amusement in her voice. 

“I swear to god Hanji…” he put his hands on his sparkling clean oak desk and was about to stand up to rip the others head off for even suggesting him to eyebrows in the first place when she beamed “You seeeee, I know how much you loathe teaching but all the other profs are busy and you know a certain omega is in my class after all. So this is your time to shine grumpy.” 

Oh no, she did not just go there. Trying to use Eren to make him do her job? Fuck no. 

“I don’t give a rat’s ass who sits in your class and who doesn’t. If you can’t make it to your goddamn lecture then cancel it for all I care. I’m not getting involved in your shit Hanji and neither you nor Erwin can make me.” He threatened menacingly. 

“Ah, I actually thought you might say that Levi. But you see you would actually do me a _huuge_ favor if you were to hold that lesson… Let’s just say I’d owe you one. Like for example laying off on you guys for a bit or promising not to annoy you on purpose for a few weeks.” The crazy brunette had the audacity to grin at him when she said that. Fucking shitspecs. 

“Cause I really don’t want to cancel the lecture so close to the exam period. And the subject is actually one of your favorites as well, so you wouldn’t even have to prepare much” she explained while throwing him a wink of all things. 

A fucking wink. 

Why was he friends with this person again?

“Why the fuck can’t you attend in the first place, Hanji?” he asked scowling.

“Oh, so glad you care enough to ask” she teased. “You see, I actually have to go to this conference and I kinda completely forgot about having accepted the invitation in the first place. Sooooo I’m in a bit of a tight spot now. Cause I’ll only be back in the afternoon and I can’t be at two places at the same time. But oh imagine if that were possible. That would be so cool and efficient. Hmm all the possibilities…”

“Will you leave me the fuck alone with your rambling nonsense if I agree to do it _this once_?” he huffed. “There won’t be a second time though. You better start learning to get your shit together and organize yourself better” he scoffed, throwing in a judgmental glare for good measure. 

“Yaaaay, you’re the best Levi!” the lunatic screeched, seemingly ready to round his desk and hug the ever living shit out of him. Having predicted as much before he had even opened his mouth to agree, he had gotten up in time to dodge the sudden attack of the brunette. 

Instead he opted with lying down his terms while he evaded the arms trying to pursue him. “You won’t bother neither me nor Eren about our bond, mental link, connection or any sort of fated mate business until we are ready to tell you about it, got it shitspecs?”

“But Leviiiiiiiiiiii, that’s not what I suggested” Hanji whined like the crazy person she was. 

“Take it or leave it shitty glasses. No way in hell I’m doing this shit for free, whether Mr. Director has ordered me to or not” he sneered, arms crossed in front of his chest as he stared his friend down, unwilling to budge an inch on the ground he had just won. 

“Fine” she accepted begrudgingly “but Levi, if it’s actually research related then I will come and ask. You would do the same if it was your research.”

“Fair enough. But you can only ask once and you’ll have to accept the answer we give.” With a stern scowl on his face he carried on “No more whining, prodding or sticking your nose into business where it does not belong. Understood?” 

“You’re no fun, shortstack.” Hanji grumbled under her breath. “But then again, Eren gets to see you in all your demonic glory, so I guess it’s worth it” the lunatic cackled two seconds later, making Levi fight the urge to throw his shoe at her shit-eating grin. 

His ensuing glare must have been enough this time to deter the brunette from running her mouth any more than she already had, as she just simply told him the topic of tomorrow’s lecture and then thankfully turned to leave. 

“Go, impress him, loverboy” she laughed over her shoulder, eyes dancing with mirth before she was finally out of sight. 

With a heavy sigh he slumped back down in his chair, his entire posture radiating annoyance and exasperation from miles away. Just what he had needed. Another fucking lecture to hold for some snotty brats who had probably been spoiled by Hanji’s laid-back attitude in teaching and grading. 

Just great. Fucking peachy. 

 

****

 

The next morning he walked into the lecture hall quietly cursing under his breath; barely making it in time before the stupid bell rang. He watched as most of the students in the room eyed him with either surprise or suspicion written all over their faces. A few of their faces seemed to have fallen now that someone had actually shown up, having without a doubt hoped that the lecture would be cancelled. 

Shitty glasses. Why hadn’t she just done that. Would have saved both him and the students the trouble of showing up at 8 in the fucking morning. Tch. 

Ignoring the heated gaze of a pair of emerald green orbs watching his every move with obvious intent he quickly set his things down. He hadn’t informed Eren that he would be teaching one of Hanji’s classes on her behalf, not wanting the brat to get excited about the whole thing that was in fact more of an ordeal to him than anything else. 

“Morning everyone.” He addressed the room; his voice now sporting the stern edge he automatically fell into whenever he taught. 

“Some of you might know who I am, but to those that have no idea, I am Professor Levi Ackerman. I usually teach English literature here at the university, but due to shitty gla- Professor Zoe being a complete and utter mess when it comes to organizing and scheduling, I have the _pleasure_ of teaching you this lesson today.” His voice had dipped heavily into sarcasm for the last part of his little speech, not making a secret out of the fact that he wasn’t too keen on being here at all. 

“And before you ask what an English literature professor is doing here holding a lecture in social inequality and gender, I happen to also have a degree in sociology. So no, Braun, I’m perfectly capable of substituting for Professor Zoe. Now. Unless anyone else wants to open their mouth to _delight_ us with their nonsense, let’s start with the topic at hand.” 

He completely ignored the ensuing stench of a frustrated, angry and slightly embarrassed alpha and instead focused on teaching these students what would be their job to change in the future. After all, these young adults and their beliefs would define whether or not their shitty society, rules and laws evolved for the better. 

He was almost at the end of his lecture, having just finished going into detail about what societal structures enforced the inequality between primary and especially secondary gender, when the ignorant baboon of an alpha named Braun decided to interrupt his teachings with his not so quiet commentary. 

“Shorty over there thinks he knows it all, when he actually has no damn clue what he is talking about.” Braun mouthed loudly to Hoover that had the unfortunate luck of sitting next to him. “Omegas need to learn what obedience and discipline is, and who can teach them better than their alpha? No way in hell should we just let them run around freely and give them equal rights, they are below us alphas in every aspect anyway. They are weak, only there to be bred and nothing else. Nature has decided so long ago.” 

Levi eyed the haughty blond alpha with disdain. The shit-stain was literally the embodiment of everything that was wrong with their society. 

“Well then Braun” he addressed the idiot in his iciest demeanor possible “If you thought it wise to interrupt my lecture, then let me educate your sorry excuse of an alpha right here and now. Omegas and betas are in _no way_ below alphas, and judging by the level of intellect you just displayed I would like to hereby thank you for already having proven my point when it comes to intelligence levels between the dynamics.” 

Glaring the blonde down he continued “Furthermore, despite there being a difference in physical strength between the dynamics, strength is not simply defined and measured in only a physical way. And even then I believe carrying a baby around for 9 months, going through hours of labor and pressing a human child out of their body requires more strength than you would ever be possible of displaying.”

Mercury orbs glanced over the entire room at his next words, trying to instill how wrong the supposed alphas statement was to the rest of the audience. “ _Omegas and betas are not weak. They are not beneath us._ They deserve to be treated with the same respect and equality as everyone else is. They deserve the same rights and the same laws as every alpha is enjoying.” 

“Fucking bullshit right there. And this is supposed to be a professor? What the hell is wrong with this university?!” Braun exclaimed angrily, face reddened by the embarrassment of his burns. 

Levi just scoffed at the alpha and continued “And if we are going by what nature dictates, then the original intent and role of the alpha was to protect and nurture. Not much protecting what you’re doing right there Braun. More like a sad excuse of posturing and repeating your daddy’s words.” 

That last point seemed to have finally done the trick in shutting the boy up. As if he hadn’t already figured out why the alpha was forced to attend these lectures. Daddy wanted his little boy to study sociology so he would have a better chance and story when he ran for the party and followed in his father’s footsteps. Didn’t take a genius to figure that one out. 

He decided that since the lecture was pretty much over now anyway, he might as well finish it right then and there. “As you can see the inequality is persisting in today’s society and is unfortunately still rooted in some of our beliefs and ideologies. There are multiple social systems in place that enforce the discrimination against primary and secondary gender, as you have heard in the past two hours. For your next lesson I want all of you to pick one of the mentioned structures, re-explain it from all angles possible and come up with a solution to improve the situation. 5 pages until next week. ” 

At the groaning and complaining from the entire room he warned “And don’t even think about worming your way out of this one by asking Professor Zoe to be negligent on you. These papers will be handed in to me directly and will be graded by me.” With a wave of his hand he added “Class dismissed.” 

He was putting his things away, ignoring how Braun seemed to vent his anger by cursing him loudly and questioning his credibility as a professor, when a small blonde-haired omega walked up to him. 

“Professor Ackerman?” a, to his surprise, firm voice asked.

“Yes? How can I help you?”

“It’s Krista Lenz, sir. And I just wanted to say thank you for standing up to him.” A small frown formed on her delicate features as she confirmed his opinion of the brute. “He’s been a complete and utter nuisance whenever Professor Zoe isn’t paying attention; getting on the nerves of the entire class. So I’m really happy you put him in his place, sir.” 

“Glad I could be of help Lenz” he replied curtly, giving the petite blonde a small nod before watching her leave with a taller brown-haired girl at her side. 

He would definitely have to speak to Erwin and Hanji about Braun’s behavior. He highly doubted that either of them were aware of it, otherwise the baboon would have already received a reprimand. 

Glancing over the room to try and see whether his omega had waited for him, he observed with displeasure that Eren was currently involved in a rather heated discussion with none other than Reiner Braun. 

Now the shit-head was picking a fight with his brat? Tch. Fucking numbskull. No amount of cold water could help with the burns he would be getting from that exchange. 

Levi had actually hoped to be able to speak to Eren after his lecture, but with Braun at his side he didn’t really want to get involved in another pissing fight with the alpha. Not that he wouldn’t win. He just didn’t feel like stomping any more on the boy’s ego than he already had. 

Grimacing at the two of them leaving the lecture hall together without an end to their fighting in sight, he decided that it might be for the best if he trailed after them. Their dispute seemed to be getting more and more intense and while he knew that Eren could hold his own, he still had an awful feeling about the entire situation that didn’t seem to want to leave him alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, huge thanks again to my beta holicham for reading through this so quickly <3


	19. Superiority

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guuuuuys~~~I actually managed to write another shorter chapter!! And i'm finally getting to the good part hehe
> 
> I hope you guys like it and let me know what you thought. 
> 
> Thanks once more for all the comments and positive feedback. You guys are what keeps me going, so a huge heartfelt thanks to all of you ❤❤

When Levi walked into his classroom at 8am in the morning, Eren couldn’t quite believe his own eyes. 

For a brief second, he almost thought that he was still dreaming; lost in one of the many fantasies his subconscious had conjured overnight. But Jean’s whispered “What the hell is Ackerman doing here?” brought him back from his reverie, confirming that he was very much awake. 

Horse-face’s question echoed his own thoughts perfectly; a small frown forming on his forehead as he pondered over the fact to why his alpha had waltzed into a lecture hall that he wasn’t supposed to teach. 

To all of their surprise however, the raven started addressing the room and informed them that he would be holding this lesson on Professor Zoe’s behalf. 

Unable to contain the giddy excitement that started bubbling up inside of him any longer, Eren let out an involuntary low purring sound of satisfaction at getting to see his alpha in his own element. 

Ignoring Jean’s groan coming from his right, his eyes automatically trailed after every move the raven made. Every gesture of his hand, every flick of his wrist was tracked by captivated teal orbs. 

Levi’s voice was still the smooth baritone Eren had become accustomed to, but now standing in front of a room filled with students it had taken on the commanding edge he had heard only once before. 

He had to pinch himself hard in the thigh to try and shake the hormonal omega inside of him that was purring at the authoritative figure standing on the podium. Forcing himself to focus on what Levi was saying instead wasn’t an easy feat; not when his omega was threatening to claw its way out and spend the next two hours simply staring smitten at his alpha. And Eren really wanted to listen to what the raven had to say. 

Little had he known that Levi actually had a major in sociology as well. 

He suddenly felt particularly stupid for having sent some of the texts he had this past week. And while not many of their conversations had steered into profound topics, he had still ranted about his studies to the professor quite a few times. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden flash of anger rolling through him at Reiner’s thoughtless comments about his alpha not being qualified to teach them. He sent the blonde an imminent glare that ended up doing little in comparison to Levi’s more than satisfying comeback. A smug smile crawled its way onto his face at the obvious embarrassment of Reiner and Levi’s nonchalance with which he had delivered the burn. 

Undeterred by the interruption, the raven immediately focused back on his teaching, not giving the blond another second of his attention. 

And damn could Levi teach. He was quick, going from one point to the other while avoiding unnecessary repetitions at the same time, like some of the other professors were prone to do. But that also meant that one couldn’t waste a single second with being distracted. 

His explanations where on point and made a lot of sense. Not only did he analyze ever angle of a problem and covered both the ‘supposed’ positives and negatives of each structure he went through, no he also connected them all in a way that was easy to understand and at the same time conveyed the bigger picture. Eren swore he had never heard someone as knowledgeable as the raven standing in front of him – well maybe with the exception of Hanji. Despite her crazy antics the brunette definitely knew what she was talking about. 

Eren had opted to ignore the snarky comments Reiner had been making for the entire lecture, his focus lying on actually learning something from the brilliant professor he had the privilege of listening to. The omega inside of him however, had ample time to pay attention to the hateful remarks leaving the alphas lips, growing more and more furious as time went by. 

After what felt like an eternity of hatred boiling inside of him, Levi finally decided to address Reiner directly. And boy did he address him. Not only did the raven deliver burns that would probably leave lasting scars on the blond’s ego, no he also managed to get his message across and promote gender equality in one go. 

Fuck. He was officially screwed. Levi was fucking hot. 

His inner omega was straight-out preening and purring at the display his alpha had just given him, showing his superiority in such a calm and collected way and remaining civilized while Reiner could only bask in his embarrassment. 

Shortly after, Levi concluded the lecture and all Eren’s omega wanted to do was jump the alpha right then and there. 

His pheromones must have been pouring out uncontrollably as suddenly Reiner’s head whipped around and his disgusting sneer was directed at him. 

“See? That’s what I’m talking about. So easy to make them want to spread their legs.” The alpha grinned at him and continued with a lazy drawl in his voice “So you got the hots for that midget over there, omega? Trust me, I can show you a better time than he ever could.” 

“Fuck off, Reiner.” Eren shot back angrily, having had enough of the blond insulting his alpha. “You better go and apply some cold water to those burns you got from that midget over there” he added sarcastically. “And while we’re at it, if you keep up this revolting attitude of yours, I’m pretty damn sure you’ll end up dying the virgin that you are.” 

Reveling in the flabbergasted look with which Reiner stared at him; he grabbed his things and headed straight for the exit. He’d rather not continue the piss-festival Reiner was clearly out to have, instead opting for walking away with his head held high. 

The smug feeling of satisfaction faded quickly as he heard heavy footsteps trailing after him. Fucking Reiner. Couldn’t he just leave him alone? 

He quickened his own steps and walked towards the main entrance of the university, wanting to reach a crowded place to hopefully get rid of the brute. 

“You better wait you little bitch. The fuck do you think you’re saying to me when you’re nothing more than a lowly omega” came the threatening growl from behind. 

Anger cursed through him like a lightning bolt at the sickening comments the alpha was making and if it were directed at anyone but him he would turn on his heel and confront the shitty bastard. 

As if he was afraid of the brute. He knew _exactly_ how those cocky assholes needed to be handled and if the blond didn’t shut his trap soon then he would learn first-hand how _weak_ an omega really was. 

“Oh so that’s all you can do, huh you little slut? Thirst after an incompetent alpha that your sorry ass of a defect of an omega could never land and when a real alpha offers you a pity fuck you have the audacity to turn him down?” the alpha sneered from behind, loud enough that the entire entry hall could hear it. 

Oh, he did _NOT_ just go there. 

Halting on his spot and slowly turning to face the asshole head on, he watched as Reiner stopped a few feet away from him. 

“Oh? So calling you out on being the _defect_ that you are seems to have hit a sore spot huh? You think we all don’t know what you are, Jaeger? A fucking abomination is what you are. Presenting so late. But then again that would make you almost perfect for that freak of a midget, too bad he’d never look twice at you huh?” Reiner scoffed and with a disgusting sneer he added the words that made Eren see red “Everyone knows that him and the director are getting it on after all. He’d never even bat an eyelash at a freak of an omega like you.”

Never in his entire life had he wanted to bash someone’s head in as much as he wanted to right then. See the blood drip from Reiner’s nose as he broke it. See him whine in pain like the little piece of shit that he was. See him on the ground where the shithead of an alpha belonged. 

In an eerily calm and collected voice that surprised even himself he countered “I think it’s about damn time that someone showed you the place where you belong, you bastard of an alpha. _On the floor that is._ ” 

He watched and counted the seconds silently for how long it took the idiot to understand the sentiment of his statement. 

When the vein on Reiner’s forehead started bulging and threatened to burst as fury overtook him, Eren clenched his hands into fists in preparation for what was about to come.

With an angry roar, the brute charged him straight-on, wanting to gain the advantage with physical prowess alone. But this wasn’t Erens first dance. He had fought his fair share of alphas head-on, protecting Armin from their little games they liked to play with vulnerable omegas. 

He slipped to the side in one fluid move, dodging Reiners extended arms easily. 

The blond certainly hadn’t expected that. His momentum threw him a few steps ahead of Eren, his back perfectly open for Eren to deliver a swift kick that landed him on the ground for the first time. 

With a surprised grunt Reiner fell to the floor, hands barely splaying out in time to reduce the impact. 

“See Reiner? _That’s_ where you belong.” Eren taunted sharply, the adrenaline still cursing heavily through his veins. 

Reiner stood; his furious eyes almost a blazing red now as he locked them on his target. 

Eren however, anticipated what was coming.

The blond rushed towards him, fist locked and aiming straight for his face. He did not try to stop the fist, instead he side-stepped and rolled his hand under the alphas wrist; driving the man’s arm over and back, effectively pulling him backward and down. 

With little to no effort on his behalf, Reiner slammed hard into the floor again. His back hitting the granite with a loud, agonizing thump. 

But Eren did not sit by idly. Quick on his feet and not wanting to give his opponent the opportunity to drag him down by his ankles, Eren stepped away.

Taking the quick reprieve when his opponent was clearly incapacitated, his eyes wandered around the room and the spectators that had gathered, noticing a short raven-haired figure standing across the hall. 

Levi was leisurely leaning against the wall, his body relaxed as if he knew exactly that his help wasn’t needed. That Eren could take care of himself. Gunmetal eyes seemed ablaze with pride as his alpha watched him, a small, smug smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. 

With a renewed sense of purpose and the comfort of his alpha believing in him washing over him, Eren’s eyes wandered back over to the blond that had scrambled back onto his feet. 

He could feel the anger pulsing through Reiner. The alpha was furious. 

“You little bitch” he spat. Snarling an “I’m going to kill you” before he lunged at him with a big right overhead punch. 

Eren stepped to the right, closer to Reiner’s body as he deflected and blocked the arm aimed at him from the inside out. A basic move Mikasa had once taught him that was commonly used in karate. 

He slammed his unoccupied right fist straight into Reiner’s face and listened with satisfaction to the crunching sound of his nose breaking. The alpha stumbled back and then steadied himself, blinking his eyes and staring at him as a trail of blood started dripping down his face. 

“You should know when to stop Reiner” Eren warned calmly, fists still held up in a fighting stance, just in case the other decided to move again. “If you keep coming at me I won’t go easy on you.”

“Fucking omega. I’ll show you who’s in charge here” Reiner snarled and before Eren knew what was happening, his voice dropped to a low growl, commanding every single nerve in his body to obey to what the blond wanted of him. 

“Drop your hands and don’t move an inch” he sneered icily. 

With dread Eren noticed the alpha-command ringing through his body, rendering him unable to do anything but comply.

He watched helplessly as his hands dropped to his sides, leaving him open and vulnerable against his will. He saw the alpha rush forward, everything moving in slow-motion to him now that he was unable to lift a finger. He watched as the blond came closer and closer. His fist aimed straight at him. 

A sudden hopelessness and vulnerability overcame him as he realized that there was absolutely nothing he could do. Another powerful flash of anger suddenly ran through him and as if on cue his eyes searched for the gunmetal ones in the crowd. When he finally found the widened silver orbs that reflected his own fear and anger, he felt Reiner’s fist collide with his stomach. 

Searing hot pain erupted in every cell of his body as Reiner buried solid punches in his gut. The pain was blinding. Taking away his breath and making his eyes fill with unshed tears. His stomach ached, his legs giving out under him, refusing to hold him upright as the pain licked through his body. 

He couldn’t move. The alpha-command still ringing true, holding his body down against his own will. 

The tears now fell in small droplets over his cheeks as he lay defenseless on the ground. 

He felt humiliated. He didn’t deserve this. He had actually won and yet a simple command could render him useless and weak. 

But he wasn’t weak! He had broken the shit-heads nose for fucks sake. 

The realization seemed to be enough to shake his quivering omega out of its stupor, making it realize that this had _not_ been a command from _his_ alpha. 

He tried to fight the order then, his hands trembling with the blinding effort it took to try and shake the feeling of someone pulling the invisible strings on him like a puppet. 

The part of his consciousness that wasn’t focused on ridding himself of Reiner’s influence could make out that the punches had turned into kicks as soon as he had sunk to the floor, rendering him unable to move for an entirely different reason now. Suddenly it was no longer Reiner standing over him, kicking him in the gut. No it was his father cursing him loudly and delivering agonizing hits over and over again.

It was weird actually. He was supposed to be used to the pain. Reiner’s kicks had nothing on the ones his father delivered, but the more kicks rained over him, the closer he felt to actually losing consciousness. 

His omega shrieked inside of him, urging him on to protect his stomach at all costs. And suddenly it dawned upon him that with him presenting, the area had become more vulnerable. 

Clinging to the last strands of awareness he let out an excruciating wail, a cry for his alpha to come and help him, to stop this madness taking place, to save him from the clutches of his abuser once again. 

He fought the blackness threatening to take over with every fiber of his body, refusing to surrender before he knew that Levi was there. 

His omega finally seemed to be fully on his side now, fighting against the command with a fierceness Eren hadn’t believed possible. 

But before he could manage to finally curl in on himself and protect his stomach from the seemingly never-ending assault, another kick hit him hard. 

A quiet whimper of Levi’s name fell over his desperate lips and Eren was almost ready to give up and surrender to the darkness threatening to take hold of him, when suddenly a protective, potent wave of sandalwood and pine enveloped him, letting him know that his alpha was here. 

Seconds later strong arms wrapped themselves carefully around his shaking frame. A low, bestial growl vibrated through his entire body as he felt himself being lifted from the ground. A hand gently nestled his head to be pressed directly into a familiar scent-gland and with the first inhale of his alphas comforting scent he finally felt himself calm down enough to close his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as many of you pointed out in the comments, i wanted to quickly explain that this chapter is solely from Eren's POV. His feelings and emotions are heightened during Reiner's assault due to his PTSD from his father's abuse and as a result the entire scene is intensified and worse for him. Of course i'm not saying that it's not horrible, I just want to point out that Reiner got fewer kicks in than what it seemed like here. 
> 
> As everything played out in slow-motion to Eren, it seemed like a small eternity until Levi interferred when in fact it all happened very quickly. Just wanted to leave this here as clarification.


	20. Fury

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drunk me decides that it's a good thing to upload this before i get the feedback from my beta. Drunk me hopes that the chapter is fine the way it is. 
> 
> I live off your comments, kudos and feeback by the way you guys. Can't tell you enough how much i appreciate every single kudos and comment, like srsly they make my day and brighten up my day, so thanks so much to you guys. (omg i had to focus so hard on typing this w/o any spelling errors) xD

Frowning at the sudden commotion that seemed to stir up near the entrance hall, Levi promptly quickened his steps. It had taken him a minute to gather all his things from the lecture hall and to hurriedly start trailing after the angered scent of his omega, still wary and irritated by his persistent gut feeling that somehow this wouldn’t end well. 

Eren’s scent was getting bitterer and more and more enraged with every step he took, Braun’s pungent smell accompanying the sour flavor of earl grey and cinnamon that hung heavy in the air. Levi couldn’t help but scrunch up his nose at the uncomfortable taste it left behind in his mouth, his alpha urging him on to get to his omega as quickly as possible to soothe away his anger and frustrations. 

When he finally reached the entrance hall, he noticed Eren and Braun standing across from each other. The brunette’s face was distorted with resentful fury and for a brief second Levi wondered what exactly Reiner had said to get him so riled up. A small mass of spectators had gathered around them, forming a circle as if anticipating that a fight was about to break out. 

Seeing Eren surrounded by a crowd and facing off the blond brute of an alpha had his own inner alpha in turmoil. A whirlwind of emotion ran through him at the sight. He couldn’t help the tinge of fear that jolted through him at first, his alpha overwhelmed with worry of something happening to _his_ mate. He couldn’t let that happen. He needed to protect. Fight. His mate needed to be safe. Protect. _Protect._

His entire body shook at the fight his alpha was putting up as Levi forced the leash back on it with a low growl, knowing exactly that Eren didn’t need any protection unless he indicated so. The brat had told him over the past week that he had fought his fair share of alphas, protecting Arlert all these years when vile assholes had tried to pull shit on him. And Levi had no doubt in his mind that Eren could hold his own against some untrained cocky shithead like Braun. If he needed help he could be there within seconds he argued against his alpha. 

He forced his stiff body to lean against the wall across from the dispute taking place, folding his arms in front of his body to stop them from fidgeting further. Silver orbs were trained on every movement the two of them made, watching over his omega like a hawk, unwilling to take any chances still. 

Eren’s final taunt rang through the quiet of the hall, leaving a small smile on Levi’s face at the indication the brat had rightfully chosen to use.

He almost had to laugh out loud at how long it took the idiot of an alpha to finally comprehend the very obvious meaning of Eren’s words. How the hell had the retard even made it into college in the first place? Oh yeah, right. Family connections. Tch. 

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted as Braun charged at Eren, his entire body tensing as every muscle strained with the effort of not springing into action, protecting his omega and showing the shithead how a true alpha was supposed to act. 

But Levi kept eerily still, watching with avid satisfaction as Eren easily evaded the charging blond, taking the opportunity to show the disgusting piece of filth where he belonged. 

The way Eren had side-stepped the attack of his opponent told his trained eye everything he needed to know about how this fight would unfold. His omega would have no problem whatsoever taking care of the brute of an alpha, knowing exactly how to use his agility to his advantage. 

With a silent nod of approval, his taunt muscles finally relaxed upon the realization that Eren wouldn’t need his help. The brat could take care of himself. Not that Levi himself had doubted it, but his alpha had been a bit harder to convince. 

He watched smugly as Eren brought Braun down again, listening with rising satisfaction to the hollow thump that echoed through the room when the alpha landed heavily on his back. 

Served the ass right. 

He would most definitely talk to Erwin and Hanji about the blond’s behavior. No way in hell was he letting him get away with all his shit-talking or instigating fights. What a poor excuse for the oh so prominent Braun family name if this were to get out. 

Gunmetal eyes followed Eren’s lithe body as he quickly moved away from the prone figure in front of him. His omega was smart his alpha preened. Not taking any chances or leaving his opponent openings to bring him down with him. 

Looking up from the groaning alpha on the floor, Eren’s blazing emerald orbs met his own, triumph and satisfaction dancing in the green hues that stared at him. 

And Levi had never felt more proud. 

The determination and power with which Eren held himself, all confidence and not a single doubt adorning his features left a shiver running through Levi’s body. 

This beautiful, strong omega was his mate. 

There was no doubt about it in his mind now. No hesitation. Only acceptance running through every fiber of his body. Eren was his. And he was Eren’s. 

A smug smile spread over his usually stern expression as he watched his omega break Braun’s nose, leaving the alpha bloody and stumbling back in shock. 

That should serve the asshat as a reminder not to judge a book by its cover. 

As if omegas were weak. Just the insinuations of the alpha earlier had Levi’s blood boiling again in silent anger, furious at the injustice of it all, livid at the fact that he couldn’t do more than reprimand the shit-head and launch a complaint that he hadn’t even been sure would lead anywhere. But now with Braun instigating a fist fight against an omega, things wouldn’t just simply go the blond’s way anymore. 

He focused back on what was happening in front of him as Eren’s final warning reached his ears. The brunette was level-headed even when warning Braun off, keeping his fighting stance up in expectation of the other coming at him again. 

The next attack was likely to end this fight. Otherwise the omega wouldn’t have threatened the alpha to stop before things ended badly for him. And at a certain point he knew that he would have to step in as a professor of the university. As much as he wanted to watch Eren break some other part of Braun as well, violence was condoned on university ground after all.

Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance at the thought and narrowed his eyes, observing Braun’s reaction with a frown. 

“Fucking omega. I’ll show you who’s in charge here” Reiner snarled, leaving a shiver running down Levi’s spine.

The blond was radiating with anger, his scent more pungent than it had been before, but all of a sudden his entire expression shifted. Anger was replaced with arrogance, his eyes sparkling with certain victory, making Levi’s blood freeze right on the spot.

“Drop your hands and don’t move an inch” the alpha sneered icily. 

_He did not just._

This fucking asshat did _NOT_ just use an alpha command on _HIS_ omega. 

Incredulous, silver eyes met with horrified teal ones, fear holding his body captive for a brief second, panic spreading through his veins as he watched Braun’s fist aimed at his omegas body. His heart was breaking at the sight of Eren’s fearful expression full of hopelessness, resignation taking over as his omega submissively dropped his arms, leaving him unprotected, vulnerable and open. 

No. 

_NO._

His body moved faster than his mind could even comprehend, his blood boiling with anger, his alpha furiously roaring with seething rage. 

_Braun was dead. DEAD._

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY” he roared, pushing students forcefully to the side, not giving a single fuck about anyone other than his omega, who had just suffered through another fierce punch to his stomach. 

And another. 

“MOVE” he snarled as he pushed his way through the crowd. 

Adrenaline was cursing heavily through his veins, his alpha taking full control as his scent exploded out of him. Fury, wrath and resentment brewing together in a thunderous storm, surrounding him like a thick blanket, spreading through the halls and telling every single dynamic to submit or suffer the consequences. 

He watched helplessly as his omega fell to the ground, Braun looming over him. 

He saw the tears falling down Eren’s cheeks, his omegas fists clenched at his sides as the alpha command still held his body in place. 

He was almost there. 

Just a few more meters separated them now and Levi let out a furious growl at Reiner daring to now kick his prone and helpless mate, not paying his challenge any mind. 

When the alpha bent his leg backwards in preparation for another kick, Levi saw red. 

In a whirlwind of movement he grabbed the offending appendage, pulled the alpha that had just signed his own death certificate back by it and effectively threw him halfway across the hall. 

Levi was seething with rage, his alpha in full control and all his thoughts focused on how to best go about making the blond suffer as much as possible for what he had done.

He had dared lay a hand on his mate. Had dared use an alpha command on his omega. 

Now he would pay the price his alpha growled. 

Driven by the pounding instinct to get rid of the threat to his mate as quickly as possible, he stalked his way over to the prone body. Like a predator eyeing its prey; a feline ready to play with its food before it devoured it completely. 

Make him suffer. 

The idiotically surprised expression of Braun at being thrown halfway across the hallway like a toddler quickly morphed into one of confusion and then fear when he scented the air. Levi had no doubt that his scent must have been telling the blond the exact same thing his alpha was angrily demanding inside of him. _They were out for blood._

Levi could see the turmoil in the hazel eyes that stared at his rapidly approaching form. He could see the internal battle taking place in front of him of whether Braun should just submit or fight him head on. 

The blond was taking too long to decide though and within seconds Levi was on him. 

Braun had managed to scramble up into a sitting position but that just made it all the easier for him. The alpha must have been expecting Levi’s fist to rain down on him, holding up his own in front of his face to block the incoming punch. But Levi had always preferred letting his legs speak instead of his fists.

Seeing the opening on his opponents head’s side, he delivered a swift roundhouse kick with his hind leg; the power of the kick enough to knock Reiner straight back to the floor where the piece of shit belonged. 

“So you think you can use an alpha command on m- an omega without any repercussions you piece of filth?” he spat angrily, reigning himself in in the last second, not letting it slip in front of half the university that Eren was his future mate. 

Kicking the prone asshat fiercely in his sides, his alpha reveled in the cough and ensuing blood spattering on the marble floor. His voice was venomous as he addressed the pathetic shithead splayed out in front of him again “So how does it feel being kicked when you’re on the ground and can’t do anything against it, hm?”

His alpha was still seething with rage as he delivered another brutal kick, anger simmering in every fiber of his body, but slowly Levi’s rationality started to come back to him, understanding that it would do no one any good if he beat the ever-living shit out of the blond right here like his alpha demanded heatedly. 

So instead he placed his foot against Braun’s throat, pressing down lightly and preparing to cut off his air supply should the other alpha even so much as twitch with a finger. 

“Not so tough now, aren’t you, Braun?” he sneered disdainfully. “What a shitty excuse of an alpha you are. Losing a fight and then resorting to an alpha command. The lowest scum there is.”

“Submit” he commanded icily. Mercury orbs were daring the other to challenge his order, his alpha itching to get another punch in, needing no further justification to continue showing the other alpha his place in the food chain. 

But then his ears picked up what sounded like pained whimpers and sobs coming from the direction where his omega lay. 

Protect. 

Fight.

Mate needs us. 

_Alpha hasn’t submitted yet._

He let out a low frustrated growl at his instincts waging war against each other, one side demanding to see the other alpha submit in front of him while the other wanted to do nothing more than run to his mate that still seemed to be in pain. 

An excruciating wail echoed through the hall, bringing everything to a stand-still and making every cell in Levi’s body freeze. 

His omega had called for him. His mate was in pain. 

He needed to go. 

Narrowed, silver eyes watched as Braun chose this exact moment to tilt his head slowly to the side, effectively submitting to him and averting his eyes in defeat. 

Within seconds he had lifted his foot, not sparing the alpha another glance as he hastily made his way over to his mate that he now realized was trapped in his own hellish nightmare. 

Tears were staining the beautiful tanned cheeks of his omega, his hands clutched protectively over his stomach; teal eyes scrunched shut and a pained, anguished expression adorning his gorgeous features. 

Eren’s scent was heavily laced with distress. Angst, dread and misery mixing in a harrowing cocktail that became more prominent the closer Levi got. 

His response was immediate. He let his own scent flare out protectively around the omega still lying a short distance away from him. Taking a deep breath to try and temper the smoldering rage inside of him, he focused on sending out comforting waves of his own scent, hoping that it would pull Eren out of his horror. 

He wanted to slap himself for his own stupidity and letting his inner alpha get the better of him when his mate had needed him the most. Of course Eren’s PTSD had kicked in the moment the fuckhead of an alpha had rained punches down on him. And while they hadn’t really talked about it, Levi fucking knew that Eren had some suffered through some sort of physical abuse, most likely from his own father even. 

Gritting his teeth at his own failure as an alpha, he lifted his shaking, curled up mate into his arms, cradling him protectively against his chest and nestling his head right into his scent gland, praying that their close proximity combined with his scent would somehow help grounding the brat. 

When he finally lifted his eyes from the brown mob of hair now resting against his shoulder, he noticed that every single alpha in the hall was slightly baring their throats to him, shuffling a few steps back as he approached the edge of the crowd with the bundled up omega in his arms. 

“Someone get the principal. And don’t let this piece of shit leave or come near the infirmary” he barked at the closest group of students he passed by, intent on bringing the omega there without any interference. And if he so much as saw Braun’s ugly mug again, no one could blame him if he wasn’t able to hold back a second time. 

With purposeful and long steps he hurried towards the infirmary, a low croon starting deep in his throat when small whimpers continued to tumble over his omega’s lips. 

Clutching his trembling mate tighter to himself, he whispered a quiet “You’re safe now Eren, I’ve got you” into the brunette’s hair. 

His previous rage had ebbed away now that he was holding his omega close. The anger was replaced with worry and guilt that were now eating away at him. Why had he not taken care of Eren first? Why did he have to let his alpha take control and go after Reiner? Why had he not paid closer attention and seen it all coming? 

No, there was no way he could’ve expected Braun to use an alpha command that was not only heavily frowned upon but actually against the law. For the blond to stoop so low… there had been no way for Levi to predict that. And if he hadn’t used the command then Eren would’ve easily overpowered the brute and won. 

Fucking filthy piece of shit. 

He couldn’t help the renewed anger that boiled inside of him at the audacity of Braun. 

Alpha commands usually only fully worked on one’s mate and even then, using the command to take their partners will away was the lowest of the low. It had taken their shitty society way too long to realize that they should do something against the domestic abuse omegas suffered at the hands of their mates from the commands. But after decades of fighting for the law, it had finally been passed a few years back. 

The commands also affected unmated and unbonded omegas but they could at least shake the command off and if they were courting someone, overcoming it became even easier. But with Eren being a newly presented omega, it hadn’t really come as a surprise that another's alpha command would force him into submission. The thought left a bitter taste in Levi’s mouth, but it wasn’t like Eren could help it. And judging by his curled up position in the end, hands protectively clutching over his stomach, he had fought teeth and nails against the command that had clearly told him not to move an inch. 

A wave of pride washed over him at how strong his mate truly was. 

Eren’s trembling had finally ceased. The brunette now lay calmly in his arms, his nose nuzzling slightly against his scent gland, urging it to produce more of the soothing pheromones that permeated the air between them. 

After what felt like a small eternity, he finally reached the infirmary. Who the fuck had thought it a good idea to put the damn thing so far away from the entrance hall in the first place? 

He huffed slightly as he cradled Eren into one arm, using the other to quickly pull open the door, shutting it behind him with a firm back-kick and raising an eyebrow at the surprised expression of the nurse in charge. 

“Petra, can you please have a look at him?” After all these years he knew better than to be rude to the strawberry blonde standing in front of him, actually appreciating her calm persona and the peaceful aura that always surrounded her. 

“A disgusting piece of shit-alpha used a fucking alpha command on him to win a fight. He got hit a few times before I reached the asshat” he spat angrily, his arms that were holding the brunette trembling with resentment at his statement. 

“He used an _alpha command_?” Petra asked incredulous, distaste heavily laced in her usually sweet voice. 

As an omega herself she knew exactly what that implied, anger sparking in her brown eyes as she took in the omega in his arms. She quickly moved to the side and gesturing to an empty bed, said “Put him down here. Where was he hit?”

“Stomach area” he replied curtly, moving over to the bed and trying to untangle Eren’s arms from around his neck. 

The dissatisfied whine tumbling over the omega’s lips had him stop his attempt for a brief moment, gently carding his hand through the brat’s brown locks. “I’m not going anywhere Eren. I’m right here, but please let Petra have a look at you ok?”

A choked whimper told him that his mate was far from on board with the whole plan, clinging more fiercely to him in response to his plea and burying his face deeper into his neck. 

“Levi, why don’t you sit on the bed with him, that way he won’t have to let go of you completely.” Petra suggested, letting out some calming omega pheromones of her own. 

He quickly climbed onto the bed, still holding onto his omega tightly. He settled them into a sitting position, twisting his upper body so that Eren could keep nuzzling into his scent gland, making sure that the brunette was as comfortable as he could possibly be. 

“Eren? Can I have a look at your stomach please?” Petra asked gently. 

Eren gave a low affirmative hum, nosing his neck more and deeply inhaling his soothing and slightly worried scent. 

Levi watched Petra like a hawk, observing her work as she examined his omega with soft touches and gentle presses. When she pressed down a bit too hard and a whine slipped past Eren’s lips, Levi couldn’t help himself but growl at the strawberry blonde in reprimand. 

Brown eyes met his own narrowed ones and with a low chuckle a knowing smile spread over the nurse’s features, making him frown and scrunch his brows together. 

“He’s a bit tender, but he should be fine with some rest” she informed them. “There will be some bruising later though” she added, sighing slightly as she put Eren’s shirt down again.  
“Did you inform his parents? Are they coming to get him?” 

Eren immediately stiffened in his arms, fear tainting his perfect scent once more and Levi knew all too well what had caused it this time. 

“There’s no one in the picture, he’s living at the omega dorm on campus. But I’m sure that doesn’t exactly qualify as a quiet place to rest” he stated, his hand gently tracing soothing circles on the brunette’s back, trying to get him to relax once more. There was no way in hell that he would ever inform Eren’s family of his whereabouts without the omega specifically asking him to. 

“Oh, apologies, Eren. Hm, why don’t you take him to your apartment then?” Petra smiled her knowing smile again, eyes sparkling as she looked at the both of them entangled against each other. “I’m sure you could dote on your mate as much as you wanted there.”

Levi only stared wide-eyed at the strawberry blonde. 

Had she just called them mates?

Eren’s hum of approval distracted him from openly telling the nurse off, his silver eyes widening impossibly further at his omega’s approval of being called mates. 

He cleared his throat, trying his best not to get distracted by the rhythmic puffs of air against his sensitive gland. Now that he knew Eren was ok, the adrenaline was slowly ebbing away, making him too keenly aware of the position they were in and how it must all look like to Petra. 

“We’re not mates.” He begrudgingly corrected the blonde in front of him. 

“Yet.” She retorted, grinning. And when he didn’t respond immediately, only staring at her with a raised brow she added “Levi I’ve known you for years now, and I’m not blind you know? I see the way you look at him.” 

“We’re courting, but that’s all I’m gonna say.”

Petra’s eyes twinkled at his statement, a fond look on her face as she regarded them silently.  
“Make sure you take good care of him. He needs some peace and quiet to rest." 

Levi was silently grateful that she had respected their privacy, not asking any further questions about the situation. It was something he'd always valued about Petra. The blonde knew that he would tell her on his own when he was ready and it was honestly damn refreshing not having to fend off someone prodding into his private life. 

“Of course. Thanks, Petra.” 

Giving the nurse a grateful nod, he looked down at the half-asleep omega in his arms. “Eren, would you rather stay at the omega dorm to rest or at my apartment?” 

He wanted to make sure that Eren was the most comfortable he could be and if the brunette preferred staying in his own room then he would bring him there – no matter how much his inner alpha protested at the thought. 

“Your place” the brunette managed to mumble sleepily. 

A soft, relieved smile adorned his usually stern features at the response. Glad that he wouldn’t have to fight his dynamic once more, grateful that he could properly take care of his future mate in his own domain. The prospect of having Eren in his home and being able to dote on him filled him with warmth he hadn’t felt in years. And if Levi was anything, then certainly not the romantic type. 

He gathered the sleepy omega into his arms again, unwilling to let him go for even a second. His protective instincts were still simmering underneath the surface and a part of him knew that they would only truly abide once he had his mate safe in his home. 

Levi stood up carefully, slowly making his way over to the door where Petra was standing, already holding it open for them. 

“Thanks again, Petra” he said as he passed by the strawberry blonde. 

“Thank me by taking care of him” she laughed happily in response. 

With a curt nod he exited the infirmary. The steady breathing against his neck told him that Eren had most likely fallen asleep. How the brat could possibly sleep while being carried boggled his mind but he still tried to even his steps as much as he could so not to jostle the sleeping omega awake.

When Eren was safely settled into his car, quietly slumbering in the passenger seat, Levi locked the car and with gritted teeth forced himself towards the entrance hall to collect their things. He felt fairly unsettled to leave his omega behind but he was sure that he’d seen Eren’s bag scattered on the floor in the entrance hall somewhere and he’d had a feeling that the brat would appreciate having his things with him after all. 

Ignoring the satisfied thrum coming from his alpha as he eyed the blood splatters on the floor with slight disgust, it didn’t take him long to find his own bag, discovering to his surprise that Eren’s had been placed right next to his. Glancing around the hall he wondered briefly who had put the bag there but then shook his head as he felt their mental link tug fiercely at him, pulling him back to where his omega was waiting for him. He quickly checked the contents of their bags, making sure that everything was still there before he hurried back to his car.

He felt incredible relief wash over him as the sight of Eren still sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat. His worries had almost gotten the better out of him for leaving the omega alone. It was completely irrational he knew, but his alpha was still prowling restlessly inside of him and for once he couldn’t simply force his instincts away. Every fiber of his body was screaming at him to take proper care of his mate to make up for his previous failure. 

Forcing his thoughts to focus on getting them safely to his apartment instead of fixating on the feelings of guilt gnawing at him, he started the engine. 

The drive didn’t take very long and he was pleased to see his mate finally getting some rest after all the shit he had to go through. He carefully lifted his omega bridal style out of the car, having slung their bags over his shoulders and started carrying him up to his apartment. 

Once inside he immediately headed for his bedroom, laying the brunette down gently on the soft mattress, taking off his shoes before he tucked him under the covers. A low sigh tumbled over the omega’s lips as he clutched onto his pillow, inhaling deeply and letting out a satisfied hum. 

Levi took a moment to simply admire having his omega curled up in his bed, smiling fondly at the way Eren buried himself under the blankets. He gingerly tucked a few stray strands that had fallen onto the brat’s forehead back behind his ears, letting his hand linger on the soft mob of brown. 

Why did his brat have to go through so much shit? As if the past weeks hadn’t been enough. Now this. He just wished for Eren to be able to smile freely, life his live to the fullest without any continuous drama and incidents. 

It took some effort to force himself away from the adorable sight in front of him. With a low sigh at the injustice his mate had to face so far, he took their shoes back to the entrance and then moved silently to the kitchen, not wanting to wake the slumbering brunette. He poured a glass of water and went back to his bedroom to place it on his nightstand for when Eren would wake up.

He didn’t want to disturb his omega’s sleep so he quietly moved to his office for the phone call he was about to make. He knew he had to make the call, even if he didn’t particularly feel like it. This needed to be discussed. 

Taking a deep breath to remind himself that his omega was safe in his bedroom and that there was no point in letting his anger get the best of him, he dialed the number. 

“I was wondering when you’d call Levi” the deep voice answered upon the first ring. 

“It’s not like I really had a choice, Erwin.” He grumbled into his phone “And before you start giving me shit, I know when I’ve fucked up.” 

He realized that as a professor he had most definitely gone overboard with how he had reacted to Braun using an alpha command. It had been unprofessional. He should have just forced him to submit instead of beating him up. 

“But I don’t regret a damned thing” he stated firmly. “The shit-head used a freaking alpha command on an unbonded omega. Hell you should give me a fucking award for not beating him to a pulp” he sneered icily. 

“I knew you’d say that” Erwin sighed. “Well, lucky for you some students had nothing better to do then to take a video of the entire thing, so I know exactly what Braun did.” 

To anyone else Erwin would have sounded calm and collected but Levi could make out the slight distaste in the tone the blonde had used for the last part concerning Braun. Erwin had been one of the strongest advocates for the law that protected omegas from alpha commands to pass, so Levi had to give it to him for keeping his composure. His friend must have been as livid as he had been. But that was exactly why Erwin was the director out of the two of them. 

“Still, since this concerns one of the more prominent families, I agree, it’s best to discuss this matter privately” the blonde concluded. “I assume you’re at your apartment?” 

“Mhm, yeah I am” he confirmed with an affirmative hum from the back of his throat, leaving out the fact that Eren was here on purpose. His omega wasn’t particularly fond of Erwin and he didn’t want to give the brunette any reason to get riled up again, hoping that the brat would sleep right through their conversation about how to best deal with the Braun kid. 

“Good. I’ll be there in 15 minutes then” Erwin replied, before ending the call. 

With a small sigh Levi put his phone down, staring at the now black screen with a slight frown. His alpha wasn’t too keen on letting another alpha into his den when his omega was still vulnerable but Levi just shook his head at the antics of his secondary gender. 

He'd had enough of the beast for one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll edit this after i get the feeback from my beta but i still really appreciate any feedack you guys will give me. I'm really so incredibly happy and baffled by the fact that so many of you read and enjoy my story. So thank you so so much <3
> 
> Oh and on a side note, if you want to read some smut, go check out my other FF "Taking what you want", where Eren gets his ass wrecked by Levi fufufu :3


	21. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, this is a unusually short chapter for me, but i just wanted to get to the point to where we are now. 
> 
> This is important for the chapter, i changed it in the last chapter: Erwin does NOT know that Levi and Eren are courting. Just a heads up. 
> 
> Please keep in mind that this is un-beta'd as of now, since i rlly wanted to post it on Eren's B-Day. And i usually don't ever post on the same day that i write cause i usually change stuff so yeah. Bear with me i guess. 
> 
> As usual, please let me know what you thought, I thrive off your comments and kudos. And thanks so much for all the love i am receiving for this FF. The next thing i will work on though will be the next chapter of my riren mermen FF, so you guys will have to be patient for a bit

Eren’s mind was fuzzy. Sleepy teal eyes opened lazily, disoriented by the soft sheets cocooning him comfortably. He blinked drowsily, sluggishly relaxing back into the comfy mattress below him, unwilling to move or get up just yet. 

His bed in his dorm wasn’t nearly as cozy… so where exactly was he?

A part of his hazy brain was trying to put the pieces back together to figure out on whose bed he was currently laying on. But the rest of him was too relaxed by the warm, soft blanket draped carefully over him and the comforting, soothing scent that permeated all the fabrics surrounding him to care deeply. What did it matter where he was, when this was what heaven must feel like?

Inhaling his favorite scent of sandalwood and pine, he nuzzled deeper into the pillow, letting out a low purr from being completely enveloped by his mate’s smell. 

He felt safe. 

Protected.

Cared for. 

With a low hum, he sleepily twisted his upper torso to hug the pillow tighter to himself, wanting to be closer to the loving scent that made him feel like he was finally home after all those years… when suddenly a sharp sting jolted through his entire body. An involuntary pained gasp tumbled over his lips as he clutched his stomach with both of his hands, waiting for the wave of piercing pain to start ebbing away. 

When the pain that had now effectively ripped him from his peaceful slumber and back to full awareness had finally receded, the memories from the previous hours started trickling back into his consciousness. 

_Reiner._

The name of the alpha escaped his lips in a low hiss, fury and resentment mixing together and tainting his voice with venom. His face was twisted into a scowl, eyebrows scrunched together and hands balled into angry fists as righteous wrath coursed through him when he remembered that the fucker had dared to use a freaking alpha-command on him. 

He remembered all too vividly how his body had simply complied with the asshole’s order, unable to do anything to defend himself from the punches and kicks that were without a doubt responsible for the remnants of the pain still lingering in his stomach area. 

A part of him couldn’t believe that Reiner had actually stooped so low. No matter how much of a disgusting piece of shit the blond had been in their lectures, he wouldn’t have pegged him to be the type to resort to such a vile action. But then again, all Reiner had ever been on about was his pride and dignity. And how _oh so important_ his family was in politics. 

And Eren had effectively reduced those supposed traits to nothing when he had easily overpowered the brute and showed him where pieces of shit like him belonged. 

He almost wanted to be smug about the fact that he had broken the alpha’s nose when the other didn’t heed his warnings. He had felt so proud for being able to show everyone that omegas weren’t weak. They could hold their own just fine... That was if their fucking opponents didn’t play dirty, he thought bitterly. 

There was no way in hell that he would just let this go, though. As a strong advocate for omega rights, he knew _exactly_ how much Reiner had fucked up this morning. And it was about damn time that the shit-head had to face the consequences of his actions and words. 

No, Eren would not just let him get away so easily. He wanted to press charges against the fucker. What he had done was against the law and no matter how prominent his family was, there was no way he could get out of this one, right?

With his anger slowly simmering away, he gingerly tried to sit up, gasping as a new wave of pain jolted through him at the new position he put his abused stomach in. Gritting his teeth at the burning sensation, he slowly raised his shirt to look at the freshly forming bruises littering the area. The sight was nothing new to Eren, not after years of abuse from his father – but still, he couldn’t help but feel a sting of pain at the sight. He had thought… no, he had hoped that this would all be over. 

Taking a deep breath to try and distract himself from spiraling into the negativity that tended to eat away at him sometimes, he inhaled the musky scent he had become all too familiar with over the past few weeks. 

His hazy mind must have been unable to put two and two together, but now that he was wide awake he realized that while he himself had been clueless, his omega had long come to the correct conclusion in regards to his current location 

_He was in Levi’s bedroom._

Staring wide-eyed at the sheets that covered his legs, he could feel the heat creeping up onto his cheeks, coloring them a rosy hue. 

_He had been sleeping in Levi’s bed._

All of a sudden memories of a whole different part of the encounter with Reiner surfaced in his mind, triggered by the scent of his alpha that permeated every corner of the room he was currently sitting in. 

Strong arms holding him tenderly, carrying his limp body somewhere. A deep, velvety voice whispering tender encouragements and promises of safety and protection into his ears. A low croon reverberating through his entire body that made him relinquish any control he had left over himself to his omega, nuzzling deeper into Levi’s scent glad, unwilling to let go for even a second. Whimpering and whining when the raven had tried to separate them. 

_Oh god._

Covering his face with his hands he let out a low whine of embarrassment. His entire face felt like it was on fire, the rosy hue coloring his cheeks having turned into a deep scarlet.

Ugh. Why did he let his omega get the better out of him there again?

He tried to remember where exactly Levi had brought him after the fight, but all he got from his omega were hazy images and a satisfied purr at how strong and protective Levi’s soothing scent and toned arms had been around him. 

Shaking his head and trying _not_ to remember how good it had felt to be held in Levi’s arms, he focused on the things he _did_ remember. 

He did recall soft, small hands giving him a gentle exam, checking for any lasting injuries. To whom those hands belonged he had no idea, but he remembered his alpha being comfortable around the other person – which in Levi’s case already told him a lot about the mystery omega.

Wait. Omega? 

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at the sudden information he didn’t even recollect having but then again, his inner omega must have been paying close attention to the other person's dynamic. And logically speaking it made sense, he doubted that he would have been comfortable in the presence of another alpha or even beta after what had just happened with Reiner. 

Levi must have brought him to the infirmary then. Meaning that the mystery person was in fact a nurse. But how exactly did Levi know her? He remembered the two of them engaging in a short conversation, but the content was entirely lost on him, his omega having been too distracted by his alpha’s soothing pheromones. 

Eren wished that his omega had a better attention span than only being able to focus on the raven’s scent because he somehow had the feeling that he had missed something important in the conversation between his alpha and the mystery omega. 

Trying to rid himself of the nagging feeling, he started looking around the room, his gaze falling on the glass of water having been placed on the night stand to his left. Grabbing the glass he gratefully gulped it down quickly, reveling in the cold liquid running down his parched throat. 

He was about to put the now empty glass back down to its previous place, when he suddenly heard voices outside. One of which clearly belonged to Levi, but his usually calm, deep voice sounded agitated. Angry even.

With furrowed brows and confusion edged on his features as to whom Levi was speaking with, he tried to stand up and make his way to the door. Moving from his sitting position however, proved to have been a rather bad idea. A somewhat loud, pained whimper involuntarily left his lips as his muscles tensed to accommodate the standing position, his legs shaking slightly with the sharp pain that echoed through his entire body. 

He clutched his stomach for a brief moment, closing his eyes to wait for the pain to ebb away again. The voices had gotten closer in the meantime – his whimper must have alerted his alpha that he was awake, judging by the close proximity of the raven’s deep baritone ringing in the hallway.

Slowly but surely placing one foot in front of the other and ignoring the jolts of pain each movement brought, Eren determinedly made his way to the door. 

Who was Levi talking to?

He pressed the door handle down, opening the door and peeking into the hallway, a smile on his face at the thought of seeing his alpha and being able to thank him properly for helping him earlier and take care of him. 

Only to be left shell-shocked at the image in front of him. 

Erwin’s face was inches away from Levi’s, seemingly ready to initiate a tender kiss with the raven. His hand was caressing his alpha’s cheek lovingly, his entire body leaning into Levi’s personal space, crowding him against the wall, caging him and not leaving him any openings to escape. 

And to Eren, it didn't seem like the raven wanted them, either. 

Horrified teal orbs watched how Levi’s arms unfolded from their crossed position in front of his chest and followed the alpha's hand that seemed to make its way onto the blond's sternum. 

No. 

_No._

This couldn’t be happening. 

They were courting.

Levi wouldn’t betray him like that. 

His entire body was shaking. Tears were threatening to fall down his cheeks, his eyes watering at the sight in front of him, Reiner’s words echoing in his mind. 

_“Everyone knows that him and the director are getting it on after all. He’d never even bat an eyelash at a freak of an omega like you.”_

NO.

His distress must have been palpable, as it was in that precise moment that Erwin slightly tilted his head to the side, a smug, victorious grin plastered on his face as he calmly taunted “It’s not exactly nice to be a peeping tom, Eren.”

And then the tears were falling.

He couldn’t stop them even if he had wanted to. 

Not sparing his – no - _the_ raven-haired alpha who had just wounded him deeper than he would have ever thought possible another glance, he ran towards the front door. 

His entire mind was in complete disarray, his ears buzzing with static noise, the emotional pain cursing through every fiber of his being overweighing the physical one heavily as he hastily grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the apartment.

_How could he have ever trusted Levi?_

An alpha.

They were all the same, weren’t they? Betrayers. Liars. Takers. 

He sobbed loudly, his body convulsing as the pain started eating away at him. His tears were falling down his cheeks in small, never-ending rivulets, a steady stream now that he started to realize that Levi had been playing with him all along. 

He must have had a good laugh at the newly presented omega, wrapping him around his little finger to see how long it would take to shatter his heart into tiny little pieces. 

And oh how the raven had succeeded at that. 

How could he have ever believed that Levi would be any different from them? 

He should have trusted his gut that had been telling him that there was something going on between the two alphas. All the looks Erwin had given Levi. It had been so obvious. 

But Levi had insisted that he was not interested. 

_Not interested?_

That wasn’t how ‘not interested’ looked like. 

How could he do this to him? After all the things he had been through, after all the shit he had to endure…

Another sob wrecked through his entire body, making him halt in an abandoned alley-way. The pain was tearing through his body. He could barely breathe, the ache in his stomach his reckless escape strong enough to have him heaving and panting. He felt sick. 

Putting his forehead against the cold tiles lining the wall of the alley-way he tried to ignore the stream of images his omega was showing him. Images of Levi treating him lovingly, showing him affection, caring for him, protecting him. Wanting what was best for him. 

LIES. 

“All lies.” He howled, grasping his hair with both of his hands, desperately ripping into it in an attempt to overpower the emotional pain with renewed physical one. Another hurt wail left his lips as his omega showed him the annoyed expression on Levi’s face after being pressed against the wall by the other alpha. His omega replaying the shell-shocked look on Levi’s features upon seeing Eren standing in his bedroom doorway, realizing what the situation must look like to him. 

“Stop it.” He cried out desperately, not wanting to see anything his omega had to show him. 

_“Get the fuck away from me, Erwin.”_ He could suddenly hear Levi’s icy voice as clear as day, his omega replaying what his buzzing ears had failed to perceive upon storming out of the apartment, trying to show him that his alpha had not betrayed their trust. 

“There’s no point.” He whimpered, adding in a low pained whisper “I don’t have an alpha.” 

It felt as if those simple words had triggered a violent chain-reaction within his body. Searing hot pain flashed through his entire body, crippling agony jolting through his stomach as he helplessly hunched over. Shivers took over his trembling body as he fell to the floor, his legs suddenly unable to keep him upright any longer. Weak and wobbly he cowered on the ground, his skin covered with a thin sheen of sweat as he felt his body temperature rise. His mind went hazy, fogged up by the sudden pheromones he was emitting.

No.

_Please no. Anything but this._

And then Eren felt the tell-tale wetness of his own slick between his legs, sobbing even louder as the dampness slowly spread through his boxers and pants. 

Why did his body keep betraying him in situations like this? Why did he keep getting betrayed left and right? 

He clutched his stomach desperately as his instincts started coming forth, the craving for an alpha rising to the surface. But it wasn’t just any alpha his body desired. Even as his rationality slowly started fading away he realized that his omega only wanted one alpha. _It wanted Levi._

And that single thought hurt more than anything his body was currently putting him through.

Eren closed his eyes in defeat, trying to block everything happening to him out as his omega screamed at him to find his mate. But what was the point in finding Levi anyway? There was none. Levi wouldn’t bother coming after him, after all he was just a toy wasn’t he? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhm... i guess... happy b-day eren? *hides in a corner because i'm feeling so bad for writing this* 
> 
> Like legit. I ripped my own heart in two writing this QwQ
> 
> Also as a reminder, it was explained earlier that extremely strong emotions could trigger a heat for Eren since he presented so late and his cycle is still unstable. Just thought i'd leave this here for those who didn't remember^^


	22. Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guuuys, i'm back!! phew, this took a while orz. I'm sorry that it keeps taking me a month or two to get a chapter done but since things are looking up on my end i hope that i will be able to keep things moving.
> 
> I wanted to once again say my heartfelt thank you to all of you who are reading this story and who are leaving me positive feedback, comments or kudos. It warms my heart to see that you guys like my story and i can't tell you how much i enjoy reading each and every single comment. So thank you so so much. 
> 
> With that said please let me know what you thought about this chapter~~

Levi was restlessly pacing back and forth in his office, unable to calm down his racing thoughts. How the fuck was he supposed to handle the current situation? On the one hand he wanted Eren to be a part of the discussions with Erwin – after all, the entire situation revolved around the omega to begin with and Eren’s opinion was pivotal to the dispute they were inevitably about to have. On the other hand he wanted - no he _needed_ his omega to rest. 

The entire fight, not to mention the enforced alpha command had without a doubt taken a toll on the brunette. And knowing Eren well enough by now, Levi felt certain that once awake, Eren would insist on partaking in the discussions, his physical and emotional well-being cast aside. His determination alone would get the better of him and force him to disregard his health in favor of getting riled up once more.

Letting out a low sigh at the thought, he made up his mind. It would do Eren no good to participate in the argument he was about to have with Erwin. And this wasn’t some alpha shit he was pulling on him; even Petra had prescribed rest for the willful brunette. So technically speaking he was just following doctor’s orders, right?

Still, he’d make damn sure that they would only be discussing things, not taking any action or decisions without having Eren involved. He’d make that clear to Erwin as well. 

Just then he heard his doorbell ring loudly and flinched slightly at the resounding noise the damned thing was making. He hastily made his way out into the small corridor that connected his office to his bedroom and the living room on the other side, listening intently on whether he could make out any sound coming from his omega that was hopefully still deeply asleep in his bed. When he didn’t hear anything after a few seconds, he quickly marched over to the door, not keen on Erwin ringing the fucking bell more than once. 

He opened the door and was greeted with the sight of huge caterpillar eyebrows raised questioningly at him when he didn’t immediately step aside to let Erwin in. 

Fuck. He _couldn’t_. 

His inner alpha wasn’t budging. Not when his omega, his _future mate_ was lying hurt and vulnerable in his bed. 

Levi let out a low growl of frustration at the antics of his secondary gender. He really didn’t need that shit right now. 

His hand on the door handle twitched, his body rigid and tensed. Every muscle in his body strained with the effort it took him to fight against his inner alpha, for it wasn’t just his secondary gender that didn’t want to have another alpha so close to his recovering mate. 

A low chuckle interrupted his attempt at getting his dynamic under control, followed immediately by Erwin’s deep voice musing “That explains the absence of Eren in the infirmary when I went there to check on you guys. But Petra on the other hand was _very_ helpful in keeping me up to date.” 

Levi’s silver eyes narrowed as they met with cobalt blue, only to widen in surprise as they watched Erwin slowly and slightly tilting his head to the side, effectively giving him the barest hint of submission. 

“Mind letting me in now, Levi?” the bastard asked, still smiling as if he found Levi’s inner turmoil amusing. 

Clicking his tongue at the other but feeling relieved when his alpha accepted the blond’s gesture immediately and without any further protest, he was finally able to step out of the way and let his best friend in. 

Fucking dynamics. 

With a low sigh tumbling over his lips, he forced his still ridiculously tense body to move. He gave Erwin one stern glance over his shoulder and instructed curtly “Shoes off” before walking towards his office. 

He was far from on board with the whole idea of having someone else in his den right now, and he knew how fucking primal and cave-man-ish that shit sounded. But he couldn’t help it. Not after what had just happened with Reiner. 

Like couldn’t Eren just catch a fucking break? The kid had presented in an abandoned alley-way for fuck’s sake, barely avoided getting gang-raped only to stumble into a near force-bonding by one of his supposed best friends. And just when things started to get normal around them again and Levi could focus on making the brat feel safe and happy, an alpha douchebag had to waltz in and force his alpha-command on _his omega_. 

The memory alone of Reiner’s slimy voice ringing through the stony halls of the university’s entrance-way and forcing his omega to his knees had him growling lowly with renewed wrath. A broken nose and some bruised rips weren’t punishment enough for what the fucker had done. 

“As much fun as watching you being anything other than your usual charming, stoic self is, Levi… I believe we should discuss how to best handle the situation at hand.” Erwin said calmly, effectively pulling him out of his animalistic stupor.

He turned around to face the blond who now stood in front of him with his arms crossed and his huge-ass eyebrows furrowed together. ‘This ought to be fun’ Levi thought sarcastically before letting his sentiment slip out by saying “Discuss ahead then Erwin.”

“First things first, due to the video some of our students recorded and it clearly showing that you were interfering to protect a student and omega from being assaulted after having an illegal alpha-command forced upon him and that you were _somewhat_ able to stop yourself and defuse the situation – albeit in a rather unprofessional manner might I add” the blond stated, eyeing him with a clear look of disapproval “you won’t be facing any severe repercussions from the university such as losing your job.”

One thin, black eyebrow rose almost tauntingly upon hearing Erwin even considering consequences such as firing him for helping an omega out. It didn’t matter whether it was unprofessional or not, an alpha-command was fucking illegal!  
Ignoring Levi’s raised eyebrow, Erwin continued undeterred “You will however, have to attend a seminar on how to handle and respond to situations such as these without resorting to violence. “ 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Levi exclaimed, stunned and slightly irked “This better be a fucking joke, shit-brows” he growled lowly, only to be silenced by a scarce glare of Erwin himself.

“I fear it is not, Levi.” Erwin declared “And while I still firmly believe that you would under normal circumstances be the last person to resort to the behavior you _have_ demonstrated today, this point is non-negotiable.” Erwin commanded sternly, adding “You know as well as I do that I have to keep up appearances as the university’s director. Furthermore, making you attend this seminar protects you both from the wrath of the Braun family as well as keeps me from having to argue about no _actual_ repercussions coming to one of our professors opting to resolve a conflict with his fists rather than his words.”

“Fucking peachy, shit-brows. And what kind of repercussions did you have in mind for the _actual_ offender in this whole fucking mess, huh?” Levi snarled viciously. 

His patience was wearing dangerously thin already and now **this**. How the fuck was it him that had to attend one of these stupid ass seminars? Erwin knew how much he loathed them. Having to sit there and listen to some dimwit spouting shit on how to control your dynamic and _how to attune better to your secondary gender_. As if he needed that shit. He had better control then Erwin and Hanji combined together. 

If it had been anyone else facing off against Braun then he wouldn’t have reacted nearly as violently as he had. But it had been Eren for fuck’s sake. _His true mate!_ Of fucking course he’d respond like that. Especially when Braun had used a fucking alpha command to top it all off. 

“That’s what I’m here for. To discuss that with you and preferably Eren as well.” Erwin clarified calmly, not even in the slightest fazed by Levi’s animosity. 

Blue eyes darted over to the direction of Levi’s bedroom but before he could so much as twitch with his finger Levi had swiftly put himself between him and the door, snarling agitated “He needs his fucking rest. If Petra was _kind_ enough to write you fucking minutes of her check-up on Eren then you should know that you won’t be stepping a single foot into that room. _Not while I’m here._ ” 

“Well then, Levi... I’d appreciate it if you didn’t let your instincts get the better of you so we can discuss this in a civilized manner.” Erwin said in an infuriatingly composed way, casually leaning with his back against Levi’s work desk while leveling him with a poised stare. 

Levi glared daggers at the blond standing leisurely and expectantly in front him. He knew that Erwin was right - the bastard always was. That didn’t help him much in reining in his temper though. Tch.

Just when he was about to take a deep breath to steady himself and get a grip on his haywire instincts, he faintly heard the remnants of a pained whimper coming from the direction of his bedroom. His eyes widened immediately, his body tensing as he twirled around, suddenly too preoccupied with an all-consuming worry about his omega’s well-being and the impulsive urge to go and check on him to notice the look of contemplation crossing over Erwin’s features, before the blond swiftly moved to follow him out into the corridor. 

Levi was still furious at Erwin who had all but _waltzed_ into his home only to tell him that he had to face consequences for saving _his omega_ from an abusive alpha ass of all things. And all of that coming from _Erwin_ – his best friend, supporter of equal rights and opportunities and avid defender of omega-rights; who he fiercely believed to be on their side regarding this entire mess - left a bitter taste in his mouth. 

So it wasn’t much of a surprise to either of them when he all but growled threateningly at the blonde’s hand that suddenly and completely out of nowhere grabbed him by his shoulder and abruptly yanked him around. The unexpected force of it left him stumbling forward towards Erwin, only to be pushed backwards against the nearest wall by firm hands. 

“The fuck do you think you’re doing shithead?!” he snarled viciously, eyes blazing with confusion and rage at the other’s nonsensical actions. He was already on edge by the whole damn Reiner-thing, and now Erwin deemed it wise to push him around in his own home? Not to mention to effectively stop him from going to check on his hurting mate? _Had shit-brows gone nuts?!_

He crossed his arms in front of his chest to stop his trembling fists from following the very prominent urge to punch the ever-living shit out of Erwin’s face. His alpha roared furiously inside of him, urging him to show the other who exactly had the reigns in here, to show Captain America over there who exactly was in charge here. 

Boss or not, Levi had no doubt that he could hand Erwin’s ass to him, out of the two of them he was the one with the martial arts background and while Erwin was definitely more skilled and trained than Reiner was, Levi knew how to handle the tall blond if he so wanted to. 

Gunmetal eyes were focused on Erwin’s face, his worry for Eren temporarily forgotten as this alpha had now effectively challenged him in his own home. His instincts were slowly rising to the surface, his eyes narrowing precariously as he watched his best friend lean closer to him. 

But Levi held himself back. Years of trust and friendship were stronger than some frazzled, primal instincts. 

He waited expectantly for Erwin to say something. _For him to explain himself_. To explain _what the fuck_ was going on here. 

When suddenly his best friend raised a hand and almost tenderly stroked over his cheek. 

_**What. The. Fuck?!** _

He stared at Erwin with widened, perplexed eyes. _Was he hitting on him?_

_What the fuck was going on here?_

But no, Erwin wasn’t interested in him. Never had been and never will be, and Levi knew that. They were friends, nothing more. The thought alone repulsed him. So what was his game here then? The blond never did anything without a plan, a bigger picture in his mind. So there must be something at stake here then. 

He instinctually unfolded his arms, raising his hand to push Erwin out of his personal space and to tell him to back the fuck off, when the other alpha slowly tilted his head to the side, his gaze searching someone else’s as he taunted with a teasing lilt in his tone “It’s not exactly nice to be a peeping tom, Eren.”

And Levi’s heart dropped. 

His eyes immediately darted to his right and there in the hallway and to his complete and utter horror, stood his trembling, hiccupping mate. Tears were streaming down Eren’s cheeks in small rivulets, viridian eyes were swimming with profound sadness, screaming complete and utter betrayal at him. His heavily distressed scent permeated the air around them, leaving Levi to almost choke on the bitter taste Eren’s usually sweet scent had turned into. 

It only took him seconds to realize what the whole situation must look like to the omega. Erwin was still leaning in towards him, his hand still lingering on his cheek and all Levi wanted to do in that very moment was angrily slap the offending appendage away and punch the other’s face in.

He wanted to say that. Yell it out there, explain to Eren that it was all a shitty misunderstanding. That he would never, _**NEVER**_ betray his trust like that. That he wasn’t interested in anyone else. That all he ever wanted was Eren. And that it scared the ever –living shit out of him, but he still wanted it more than anything else. 

But before he could so much as get a word out, Eren had bolted. 

He watched petrified as his omega disappeared down the hallway, his heart thumping heavily at the amount of pain that rushed through him out of nowhere. It felt like he was being torn apart. Like the sun had sunk behind the horizon and darkness had taken hold of him. 

He didn’t have time to think about where these sudden emotions were coming from. There was only one thing his mind could focus on now: getting to his omega, apologizing and explaining everything to him. And praying to whatever deity was out there that Eren would listen to him, that Eren would believe him. 

He immediately pushed himself off the wall that he was still being cornered into and when Erwin didn’t budge an inch, he angrily roared _“Get the fuck away from me, Erwin!!”_

His voice was heavily laced with venom, disgust and contempt edging their way into the far from subtle undertones, his own betrayal reflected in the narrowed and furious silver eyes that stared tauntingly up at the other, begging Erwin to give him a reason, _one more reason_ to bash his teeth in. 

And finally after what felt like an eternity his murderous glare must have had an effect on the blond, as he stepped out of the way. His entire body was still thrumming with adrenaline though, and seeing Erwin’s composed face at the entire situation he had instigated to begin with, made the rage boil up once more inside of him. 

Finding Eren had priority over punching Erwin’s face in, so instead he snarled “Get the fuck out of my apartment, shit-brows. Do NOT let me see your face again or I swear to god I will _break it_ ” before he darted through his apartment and grabbed the keys from the little bowl he usually placed them in next to the door. 

He slammed the door shut behind him, not bothering to look back or lock it and hastily sprinted down the stairs. 

He needed to hurry. Erwin’s little escapade had cost him precious time and Eren could be god’s know where. 

Taking two or three steps at once he tried to find the trail of Eren’s scent in the air, but the panic flooding his mind made it hard to focus on anything other than the dread taking hold of him at the thought of losing Eren to a ridiculous misunderstanding such as this one. He knew how fragile their newly forged bond still was. 

Eren had put his trust in him – an alpha. And that in itself had already been a huge step for the brunette so like hell he’d betray that trust now and lose all the progress they had made. His omega had been through a lot these past few weeks - not to mention this very fucking morning. And now, _NOW_ of all times Erwin had to pull shit like this? What the fuck had he been thinking? 

Suddenly all the reactions Eren had had towards Erwin were starting to make sense. The animosity, the instant dislike and the blatant disrespect he had shown towards the blond. 

Levi thought back to the weird little comments Erwin had let slip whenever Eren had been in vicinity and suddenly it hit him like a brick. Erwin had been teasing Eren all along, trying to make him jealous. 

But why? Why the fuck had Erwin done that?! _What the fuck was the point of this fucking charade?!_

He knew what Eren had been through, knew about his abusive asshole of a father, knew about the presenting and the almost force-bonding. What madness had him thinking that getting Eren jealous and hurting him in such a way would be beneficial to either of them?!

How could he be so stupid? _How could he call himself his friend and then act like this?_

Levi’s thoughts were jumbled as he raced down the streets. The back of his mind was trying to process what the fuck had just happened, while his instincts, his inner alpha and the forefront of his mind were all preoccupied with following the pull that would inevitably lead him to his omega. Levi didn’t question where his inner alpha was taking him, desperate beyond measure to simply find his missing omega and make sure that he was safe. 

The pull he felt towards Eren was urging them together, pin-pointing the exact location where the brunette must have stopped and acting as a guide to find him. For once Levi was so fucking grateful for the weird quirk their true mate bond came with, for he didn’t even want to think about how panicked he would be if he didn’t know where to search for his brat. 

He was still running. Desperately now, as his body urged him to go faster and faster. Something was wrong. He felt it in his gut and it only spurred him to hurry the fuck up.

Then he smelled it. 

The scent of his omega in heat. 

The sweet, sweet flavor of vanilla and cinnamon hanging heavenly in the air, the taste of earl grey more subdued but still ever-prevalent and Levi had to stop for a second to catch his breath. 

However, no amount of air could help his ragged breathing - he was panting now. The running as much of a culprit as the intoxicating scent that lingered in the air around him. 

Eren. 

He needed to get to his omega. 

_He wasn’t safe._ He was in heat. Levi needed to get him somewhere safe. Out of harm’s way, where no other alpha could smell the delicious scent that was only meant for him. 

A possessive growl tore through his throat at the thought of another alpha getting to taste what was his. 

The aroma swirling around him did very little to help him compose himself and with all the will-power he had left he forced his mind to focus on getting to Eren first. He needed to clear up the misunderstanding and most of all he needed to get him back to his apartment – his alpha giving a guttural hum of approval at the thought. The beast wanted to have its mate back in its den. 

But Levi was thinking about the backpack that held Eren’s emergency suppressants. It was still lying in the entrance way of his apartment and if he could just bring Eren back then they could avoid him going into a full-blown heat. 

So that was what he tried to concentrate on with every hasty step he took towards the source of the ridiculously enticing smell. 

Tiny sobs and whimpers reached his ears as he finally got to the end of the small street he had been running down, effectively throwing his alpha into a renewed frenzy and making him quicken his steps as he rounded the corner in a flurry of movement - only to halt immediately at the sight in front of him. 

His omega was on the floor, clutching his stomach as cramps ripped through him. His tear-streaked face was red and blotchy as the small droplets continued to fall with each renewed wave of slick that made its way out of his body. He could smell the heat and the desperation rolling of the omega in heady waves, and knowing that the awful bitterness of the omega’s distress was partially his fault for not pushing Erwin away sooner made the guilt all the more consuming. 

A low croon tumbled over his lips at the sight of his vulnerable and hurt omega writhing on the floor in pain. 

He needed to get him home. Get him to safety. Help him make it go away.

Glassy, emerald orbs hazily lifted from the ground as the animalistic sound echoed through the alley way. Heavily dilated pupils narrowed slightly at the sight of a more than disheveled Levi standing in front of him and with what seemed to be a herculean amount of effort, Eren forced himself to sob “G-go… a-way”

“Eren… _please_.” Levi called in a strained, wrecked voice, his heart breaking and being ripped apart by the sight and the refusal of his omega. 

“It’s a misunderstanding.” He pleaded, trying to even out and soothe his voice as much as possible while letting his scent fully envelop the two of them. Remorse, concern and fear tainting his usually calm and musky scent, threads of yearning, possessiveness and promises of protection laced in the underlying notes. 

“I don’t want him. I never wanted him and I will _never_ want him.” He assured through gritted teeth, disgusted by the mere thought of him and Erwin together. 

“All I ever want is you, Eren…. please.” Pure and raw honesty laced his every word and he hoped and prayed to god that Eren could hear it. He would never want anyone else.

Forcing himself to swallow the lump in his throat at another possible rejection from the omega, he dared to take another step closer to his shivering brat. “I have no fucking clue what that fucked-up charade was from Erwin today, but please…. Eren… I-“

A hitched sob sounded in the alley way upon his words. “W-why?” Eren whispered hoarsely. “Why s-should… I…t-trust you?” he whined in distress.

“Eren…” Levi could hear how broken his own voice sounded, desperate to make his brat see “I… all I ever want is to protect you. To make you happy.” He ran his hand through his midnight strands in frustration and added in a low whisper “I know how much you hate alphas. I know how much you mistrust us and you agreeing for us to court was one of the happiest moments in my life. I’d never betray that trust. _**Never**_ , Eren.” 

Meeting the watery teal eyes of the brunette that was still lying trembling and hiccupping on the ground, he dared to take another step closer to the omega before crouching down. “I’ve no idea what the fuck that shit from Erwin was about, but the mere thought of him disgusts me.” He shuddered at the idea and banished the disturbing thought from his mind before reaching with a slightly shaking hand for the brown messy locks of the omega in front of him. 

“I never thought I’d be courting anyone… ever. I never wanted a mate, never wanted to bond, you know? But then I met _you_ , and you made me fucking crave for things I never even considered. You ruined me, Eren. And now there will only ever be one person I could even begin to imagine all of this with. And that’s you, brat” he whispered, his hand slowly carding through the brown locks in reverent gentleness.

“L-Levi.” Eren sobbed, more tears falling from widened eyes as the meaning of his words seemed to register. 

But before the brunette could get a response out, his body convulsed as another wave of slick trickled out of his hole. A choked cry escaped his throat as the feeling of emptiness and his failure to lure an alpha to mate him punished him. 

Levi’s pupils contracted and re-dilated at the heady aroma swirling around him as he shook with the effort it took not to just haul Eren up into his arms and carry him home. His muscles strained, sweat beading and rolling down the back of his neck as it took everything it had in him to wait for his omega’s consent. 

His jaw twitched, a low growl rumbling out of his chest as the omega’s scent intensified, begging through clenched teeth “Eren… please, let me take you home.”

Dazed teal orbs glanced up and stared straight into his worried mercury ones before the omega slowly leaned his head into the soft ministrations of his hand and let out a low whimpered “Y-yes… please… a-alpha.”

Levi couldn’t and wouldn’t stop the guttural, rumbling growl of approval from tearing out of his chest at his omega calling him _his alpha_. The instinctual need to bring his omega into his arms and scent him took over and before he even realized what he was doing, he had Eren scooped up and was nuzzling the mop of chestnut hair; vigorously spreading his scent all over any patch of skin he could find. 

_The omega was his._

Eren’s needy mewl of appreciation only served to rile his alpha further up as he all but dashed back the way he had come, still careful of the bundle in his arms. 

The omega’s slick was dripping down his toned arms as he carried him, making his head reel from the overload of intoxicating pheromones. Lewd images of Eren splayed out on his sheets popped up in his mind, the omega writhing on the soft blankets as his alluring scent spread and mixed with his own, mewling and whining pitiably for him to take care of him. Fill him up in all the right ways. Breed his pretty little ass wide open. Drown him in his cum and paint his insides wide, before forcing his knot past the tight, convulsing velvety heat and _making him his_. 

He could feel his own arousal simmering dangerously beneath his skin, his scent spiking in his own desperation to fulfill their nature together. And how pretty Eren would look like impaled on his cock. 

Fuck. 

He needed to get a hold of himself. 

The ever diminishing coherent part of his brain knew that he needed to hurry the fuck up if he wanted to stop Eren from going into a full-blown heat – or worse the heat triggering his own rut. Neither of them were ready for that and he would be damned if he took advantage of his omega. 

He huffed out a sigh of relief as he saw his building down the street coming into view, hastily making his way over to it and fumbling with the keys to let them into the staircase. The omega squirmed in his hold, nuzzling his face deeper into his throat and letting out small cries and needy whimpers. “A-alpha…”

His chest heaved and his nostrils flared as the omega’s scent of arousal washed over him in potent waves, the mumbled admission doing things to him.

Not trusting himself to be able to fully control his frayed instincts if he had to share the cramped room of the elevator with the squirming omega in his arms, he opted to take two steps at once, quickly clambering to the 4th floor his apartment was located on. 

“Alpha… p-please…it hurts…” He could feel the warm huff of air tickling his sensitive scent gland as Eren begged so prettily against his neck, panting as his scent became even stronger, calling for Levi to take care of him. 

An unnerving snarl forced its way out his lips at the strain it took him not to push the quivering mess in his arms against the next best wall and give him what he wanted. 

He clenched and unclenched his stiffened fingers from the hold he had on his omega, carrying the brat with one arm as a slightly trembling hand opened the door to his apartment, grateful that he hadn’t locked it in his urgency to find Eren. 

Entering quickly he shuddered hard as the wanton omega licked a stripe over his scent gland, tasting the oils that had gathered there and letting out an lewd mewl of approval at the treat. “Mmmh, a-alpha… tastes so goooood. _More_ ”

Levi growled ferociously and shook his head slightly, trying desperately to clear his thoughts and focus his senses away from the tingling and glorious sensation of having Eren’s talented tongue against his neck. 

He needed to get Eren his suppressants. 

Scanning the room his eyes quickly landed on the backpack that had been half hazardly deposited only a few meters away from them. He quickly strode over towards it and was about to gingerly deposit his omega on his own two feet, when the brat decided that letting his tongue dance along the sensitive side of his neck was no longer enough. A low groan tumbled over his lips as the brunette started sucking eagerly on his gland, keen on leaving his mark there for anyone to see and _fuck_ if Levi didn’t want anything more than that. 

He wanted to mark the omega back. Sink his slowly elongating teeth into the honeyed flesh of Eren’s throat only a few inches away from him. Show everyone that he was his omega. That he had chosen him and he was his. Just as Levi was Eren’s. 

**Fuck.**

Most of his blood had already rushed south to the straining erection in his uncomfortably tight pants, but now with Eren marking him as his, showing the world that the alpha was no longer available, Levi had an exceptionally hard time trying to focus on his task at hand. 

Reasoning with himself as to why he couldn’t just give in became harder and harder with every second that passed. Eren’s lips on his neck making him forget everything as another shuddered groan left his body. 

His hands were fully trembling now as he extracted the omega’s legs that had managed to tangle themselves around his waist from him, leaving an unhappy whine to tumble over the omega’s plush lips. 

The omega’s feet were on the ground now, a small victory in Levi’s mind. But the victorious feeling only lasted a fleeting moment as trembling fingers started to roam his body. Heated fingers slipped beneath his shirt, exploring his form and kneading at the firm muscles of his chest. A purr of appreciation slipped over the omega’s lips – the vibration of it against Levi’s gland enough of a stimulus for him to let out a small rumble. Ample hands went lower to trace his flexing abs and his own fingers spasmed in their search through the backpack.

“A-alpha… please. _Touch me_ ” Eren whined against his neck, confused as to why his alphas hands weren’t on him yet. 

Levi’s fingers shook as he finally found the damned syringe, almost dropping it back into the depths of the backpack when Eren’s breathless plea registered in his clouded mind. 

“Levi… please. I want you… _I need you._ ” The seductive and lascivious purr sounded against his left ear, making everything come to a standstill before a feral, ferocious growl tore through his throat. 

He effortlessly hefted the omega against the next best wall, pressing his entire body against the lithe, writhing mess that keened loudly in response to the action. His alpha roared in triumph as he attacked the brunette’s throat with vicious fierceness, intent on covering every single speck of tanned skin with his marks. He _needed_ to. Needed to make the omega his. Needed everyone to know that the omega was no longer available. That he was _his mate._

He mouthed against the sweat-covered flesh, his hands groping the omega’s firm rear shamelessly - the syringe half-forgotten in his right hand. Eren whined loudly in response, baring his neck completely to give the alpha better access to his sensitive scent gland, urging him on and letting appreciative mewls tumble over his lips.

A renewed growl rumbled through his apartment at the gesture, the sound deep and animalistic as Levi mouthed and sucked on the omega’s neck, responding eagerly to the delectable display of the omega’s submission without conscious thought. 

He could feel Eren’s body move beneath him. Could feel the tanned legs wrap themselves around his waist once more, clinging to him like the omega’s life depended on it. It felt so right to have Eren in his arms like this, to mark the omega as his. To bury his nose in the intoxicating aroma that swirled around his tongue with every single lick he used to coax more of those sweet oils from him so he could coat his mouth with the sweet flavor of vanilla and cinnamon. He couldn’t help himself; he _had_ to. 

But somewhere in the back of his mind a red flag was waving precariously at him, an alarm bell going off; there was a reason why he couldn’t do this. _Why he shouldn’t be doing this._ Why he couldn’t allow himself to drown in the delectable pheromones clouding his mind and hindering his judgment. 

Suddenly the syringe he had been clutching in his hand felt heavy, forcing his hazy mind to acknowledge its existence, allowing him a brief reprieve from the assault of the heady pheromones and borrowing him enough time for a slimmer of rationality to come back to him. 

He couldn’t do this to Eren. The omega deserved better. 

No matter how much both of them wanted this in this very moment, they weren’t in their right mind. And to make matters worse he could feel how his body responded to his omega’s heat. He knew exactly what all the signs meant, knew that any ounce of rationality would soon leave his brain for good, could feel the rut approaching with every second that ticked by. 

Which only meant one thing: he had to act quickly. 

He pressed his body more firmly against the slim frame of the omega’s, doing his best to ignore the heady pants and licks against his neck that left his body shuddering with imminent desire. He instead focused on holding his mate up with one hand, cupping the lovely, firm ass and ignoring the slick-soaked fabric that clung to his fingers as his other moved to uncap the syringe. 

His nose was still buried deeply inside the omega’s throat, panting heavy breaths against the slick neck as his whole body tensed, muscles straining with the fight he had to put up to finish his task at hand. 

The loss of Levi’s tongue against the omega’s neck however, didn’t go unnoticed as Eren’s hands wound themselves around his neck, his fingernails scraping lightly against his undercut before the brunette started sucking with renewed vigor on his scent gland. Keen on getting the alpha out of his stupor, needing him to start touching him again, to quench the fire burning fiercely in his stomach.

“Levi…” he husked, a thrumming purr leaving his lips at the amount of oil that coated his tongue now “Fill me up alpha. Need you inside of me… Please… _Knot me._ ”

With a shuddered grunt his alpha took over and he pressed his teeth against the dampened flesh of the omega’s throat. Desperation and an intense, primal yearning cursing through him at the thought of breeding his omega good. Seeing the lithe creature writhe in ecstasy on his cock. Seeding him deep and filling him until he was swollen with pregnancy. 

Levi didn’t know _how_ , but he somehow managed to hold himself back in the last split second, his teeth not breaking the tanned skin but surely leaving a pretty bruise behind in their wake. His alpha was snarling angrily at him but Levi couldn’t bring himself to care. 

Finally finding control of his arm again, he desperately jammed the syringe into Eren’s arm, pressing down and administering the emergency suppressants as he had sworn to himself he would do. 

A pained whimper tumbled over confused lips at the sting and increased pressure on his arm. Heavily lidded viridian eyes looked up at him under thick lashes, the omega’s pained gaze questioning before hooded eyes broke the stare and dilated pupils wandered down towards his lips. 

Levi could feel his mind clouding up again, could feel the hazy fog threatening to overtake everything as his instincts roared to finally press his lips against the rosy ones that were slowly inching closer. 

They were both panting now, their breaths mingling, wave after wave of heat washing over each other’s faces the closer the omega leaned in. And Levi knew that he desperately needed to put some distance between the two of them, at least until the omega’s suppressants started working. 

As much as he wanted to give in; he _couldn’t._

The thought of Eren regretting his actions after becoming lucid again was enough to deter him from indulging in his own desires, removing the dangerous temptation by burying his face back into the omega’s throat. Eren’s loud, displeased whine at being denied his alpha’s kiss dissipated quickly and turned into a happy mewl of anticipation once Levi started carrying him towards his bedroom. 

Sweat was trickling down his temple and neck as Levi gently settled his omega on top of the soft, disarrayed blankets. He was having a hard time extracting the omega’s limbs from his body, not to mention how the idea of walking out of this room seemed to be enough to cripple him. 

He couldn’t move. 

The idea of not feeling the omega’s heated skin on his own was abnormal to him. Unnatural even. His alpha was urging him to follow the incessant tugging of the omega’s feeble fingers on his shirt. To simply lean down and _take_. 

But Levi wasn’t like that. He wasn’t!

“E-Eren.” His voice was hoarse, raw and wrecked from all the sensations and emotions assaulting him all at once; exhausted from fighting against his instincts for so long. 

With a soft but firm grip he disentangled the omega’s arms from around his neck, placing them gently next to the boy’s body. “I’m not leaving you. I’ll… I’ll be right outside you hear me?” he whispered, his entire body tense and rigid. 

The omega’s eyes widened with confusion at his words, wildly blown pupils staring at him almost disbelievingly. “L-Levi?”

“I- I can’t be in here Eren.” he admitted defeated. Letting out a shaky breath and stroking a few stray strands of hair behind Eren’s ear with gentle, trembling fingers, he promised “I’ll be right outside the door until your suppressants work. I- I _need_ to get out of this room before I do something that we’d both come to regret.” 

He hastily turned and stumbled towards the door before he could see the tears welling up in those breathtakingly beautiful eyes of his omega. Before he could see how his bottom lip would start trembling or how his scent would inevitably turn sour and distressed. Before it was impossible for him to leave at all.

He needed to take those fucking suppressants. 

The brat was too irresistible for his own good and Levi only had _so_ much endurance left. 

Staggering out of his bedroom, locking the door behind himself and ignoring the pitiful whines and anxious whimpers coming from his omega and to instead make his way to the bathroom where he kept his pills, took every last bit of strength left in him. 

But taking the suppressants had priority over soothing his omega right now. It was the only way he could protect the brat from himself. He didn’t trust his instincts – he usually would – but not with Eren. Not when his alpha had reacted in ways he had never experienced in his entire life. He couldn’t risk it. 

With trembling hands he opened up the bathroom cabinet where he stored his medicine and took out the small bottle with his rut suppressants. Thank fuck he was orderly and organized, otherwise it might have taken him even longer to find the damned pills. He turned the tab and let the rushing water drone out any other sound that reached his ears, grateful that he had a short reprieve of the sad, pained whimpers coming from his bedroom. 

He wanted nothing more than go back to Eren’s side and soothe him, but he knew that the soothing would turn into more. And now that he had managed to drag himself a few crucial meters away from his omega he was keenly aware of the fact that the distance between them had to remain unchanged. 

He downed two of the suppressants quickly, hoping that they would start working immediately and reached up to close the cabinet when suddenly another wave of intoxicating pheromones hit his nose. 

A shudder wrecked through his body as the delectable scent of Eren’s slick wafted up from his arm. The honey sweet flavor making his head spin and his alpha roar loudly. He’d completely forgotten about that. 

Shit. 

An angry snarl slipped past his lips as his alpha tried taking control once more, the rut empowering his instincts and making them stronger and fiercer to battle down. He took in a ragged breath through his nostrils and braced his body with both hands against the sink; his fingers clenching and unclenching on the white porcelain as he lowered his head. 

He stood there for a few minutes, simply focused on his breathing, trying to calm himself enough to go back outside. He’d promised Eren that he would just be outside his door and he was intent on keeping that promise. 

With a enormous amount of effort he forced his slick-covered arm under the water first, praying that it would diminish the scent to a bearable level as there was no way in hell he could force himself to completely wash the smell away with soap. The water had to do. 

He turned the tap off and took another deep breath through his mouth. He could still taste his omega’s oils on the back of his tongue, making his desire to lick across the honeyed column of flesh rise once more.  
A loud wail distracted him from the vivid memory of the delicious treat he had enjoyed mere minutes ago and had him whip his head around in a frenzy. Eren’s omega was calling for him, asking for him to make the pain go away. Begging his alpha to help him. 

And Levi had to deny him. 

Before he knew it he was standing back in front of his bedroom door, the wails and whimpers subsiding slightly the closer he got. His own musky scent spiked with arousal and desire in response to the omega’s heat, permeating his entire apartment and without a doubt leaking through the doorway. 

“A-alpha… p-please come b-back…” Eren whined. “I- I’ll be… g-good… _please_.” His voice stuttered with distress and pain, making Levi grit his teeth in a desperate attempt to keep control. 

“I can’t, Eren.” he grunted, hopeless desperation making his body shudder and his tense muscles spasm, his fingernails digging into his own skin and pressing the key he was still holding in his left deeper into his own flesh. 

“You… y-you don’t w-want… me…” Eren sobbed, broken and faltering, his voice tiny and barely audible through the walls of Levi’s apartment. 

“ _Me? Not wanting you?_ That’s fucking ridiculous and frankly impossible, brat” Levi growled back through the door. He could feel his last straw breaking and he needed to do something about the key to the forbidden fruit in his hand. 

“If I could brat… I’d take you right fucking now.” He drawled; a rough edge in his voice at the imagery the statement came with. 

“D-do it, alpha! P-please” the omega whimpered through the wall “I’m s-so… empty. Need you to fill me up.” A lewd mewl accompanied the frantic plea and left a shudder to wreck through Levi’s body. 

Levi knew he couldn’t hold out much longer, and in his desperation he hastily threw open the wall cabinet in the corridor. 

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, trying to see where he should put the key, gunmetal orbs landed on the stupid, ridiculous leopard-printed gift shitty glasses had shoved into his arms with a loud cackle, yelling an enthusiastic happy birthday into his face and telling him that it might come in handy in the future. He’d given her an unimpressed glare, told her to fuck off and shoved it as far back into the closet as he possibly could, but now it might actually help deter him from doing what he feared the most. He picked it up, placed the key on a random rack and hastily moved to close and lock the cabinet, glad for every additional wall between him and the damned key. 

“Alpha… it h-hurts!! _Please._ ” Eren cried and before he knew it Levi was back at his bedroom door, letting out a loud croon in response, trying to soothe his omega as best as he could without giving in to temptation. 

“I’m here, omega.” He husked. “Not leaving. You’re doing so good for me.”

“L-levi! _Need you_ ” – “Shhh, omega. It’s gonna be ok.” He replied coarsely. His scent had turned from one dominated by primal arousal to one laced with protective possession, promises of safety and warmth underlying the spicy musk that still simmered with desperate yearning for his omega. 

In a brief moment of clarity he crouched down and slipped the key to the wall cabinet under the doorway and into Eren’s room, hoping that the small movement had gone unnoticed by the omega. The key was safe in Eren’s room and it wasn’t like Eren could use it to open the bedroom door. 

With the imminent threat of being able to open the door gone, Levi took a deep breath. He could feel the adrenaline pumping heavily through his veins, could tell how his own pheromones started to turn heavier, his body trying to lure the omega to him. His rut was about to hit, so with all the strength he had left he stumbled towards the living room, grabbing the box of tissues from the table as he headed for the radiator at the wall closest to the corridor. 

He fumbled for his phone, the action taking way more time that it usually would have without his mind in a hazy pheromone-induced fog. 

‘Emergency. Eren. Come asap. My place’ 

He managed to shoot the quick text to Hanji, his fingers trembling with the effort it took to put his phone down gingerly. 

“Aaaah… a-alpha…” came the stuttered, long drawn out moan from his bedroom. And the image of a lust-filled Eren pleasuring himself on his bed, spreading himself open and begging for his knot was enough to make any rational thought disappear from his mind. He’d barely managed to handcuff himself to the radiator before a full-body shudder took hold of him. 

His rut was here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it wouldn't be a chapter from me without a cliff-hanger now would it? *evil grin* :D

**Author's Note:**

> Also, [feel free to follow or hit me up on tumblr ](http://choucosplay.tumblr.com)  
> my insta is more cosplay related but for those interested [here you go ](https://www.instagram.com/chou_cosplay/)


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